


All To Save Them

by StarlingHawke (Bowm8935)



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anxiety, F/M, Hostage Situation, Kidnapping, Kids, M/M, Neglect, Swearing, abuse is hinted at, also, attempted self-harm, autistic mc, genderfluid mc, hence why both f/m and m/m are checked, mentioned drug use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-10
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2018-08-30 02:50:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 77,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8515675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bowm8935/pseuds/StarlingHawke
Summary: MC was caught by the Mint Eye when they were running with their children from their abusive ex, and is being manipulated into infiltrating the RFA while they hold their children hostage. Will MC find a way around the situation, to save both their children and the RFA, or will they singlehandedly be the downfall of the group we all love?This is my NaNoWriMo piece (and my first MM fic), so hurrah! Let's see how it goes!Also, as you'll notice, I adjust the timeline in the story so that it is longer than the original 11-day stretch. Toodles~





	1. Caught

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we learn about our MC and they learn what is going on.
> 
> Right off the bat we're hinting at abuse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm only doing minimal editing, trying to make sure I catch any major mistakes because I'm squeezing this in between my already busy life. So if I miss anything, feel free to let me know. :)

_"Run!" she screamed, clutching one child to her chest tightly and pulling the other along as fast as his little legs could carry him. Their footsteps were loud on the concrete of the sidewalk, echoing throughout the empty streets more than she would have liked. The little one was sobbing into her chest, her wails dampened by the fabric and skin that her little nose was burrowed against. The sound broke her heart, and she mentally berated herself for having waited this long to take action._

_There was a thud and a cry from beside her as the boy fell, his hand slipping from hers as he stumbled to the ground, fat tears rolling down his cheeks as he cradled his foot. Without hesitation, she knelt down and asked him to crawl onto her back, reaching an arm back under his seat to secure his position. Taking a deep breath, she started running again, the extra weight slowing her down slightly. She turned a corner, a burst of adrenaline helping her move faster when she heard the loud bellow from behind them._

_“Mama, I'm scared,” the little boy whimpered, his arms tightening around her throat in fear and cutting off part of her air supply. “Please don't let him hurt us again!” His breath hitched as a sob tore from him, and she felt his body shake from the force of it._

_“Hush, love,” she wheezed, coughing against his ever-tightening arms. “I won't let him touch you anymore. But please… grab my shirt. You're choking me, dearest.” She pulled in a large breath when he obeyed, the air rushing to her sore lungs in ecstasy._

_Once his little fingers were woven securely into her shirt, she sped up further still, sprinting as their destination came into view. It wasn’t her first choice, but as she had no family and very few friends here, she had no other options. “But mama, where are we going to go?” came the voice in her ear, still trembling._

_She placed a kiss on one of his hands and one on the top of the rumpled red hair on her chest. “Where he can never touch us again.”_

 

* * *

 

“Put her in there! No, don't bother with moving shit, just toss her on the bed!”

Hands, hands all over, clutching, grabbing, pulling. She moaned, trying to escape from them, the sensation of so much _touch_ sending unwelcome shivers through her body. She felt herself tossed, flinching when she landed on a hard surface, a cry of pain escaping her chapped lips when her head connected with what felt like a wall.

“Fuck, she's waking up. Get the sedatives, NOW!” The voice was so loud, it seemed to pierce straight through her head. She struggled to sit up, but her limbs stubbornly disobeyed, feeling distinctly as though someone had filled them with lead. A pressure fell on her chest, and she blinked open her eyes to see a hand had been placed there to keep her flat. A face dipped into her view, and she blinked harshly a few times before squinting to try to focus on it.

“Shhh, it's okay,” the face murmured, and she found herself enthralled by aquamarine eyes. “It's time to rest, for now. Go back to sleep. You'll see me again later.”

There was a sharp stab in her right arm, and she wiggled in vain to try to see what it was. “Shhh,” the voice continued as her eyelids became heavy and closed on their own. “Shhh, go to sleep.”

 

* * *

 

_The door slammed open suddenly, making everyone in the small apartment jump as it bounced off the wall noisily. In stormed a tall man, his features contorted in rage, fists raised as he approached the small man sitting calmly at the kitchen table. Through the smallest of motions, a signal was exchanged and a young boy pulled his sister around the corner, shutting the door quietly behind him._

_“YOU BITCH,” the newcomer raved, snarling and slamming his fists down on the table. The tea set rattled, and the opposing man simply raised an eyebrow, reaching forward to pick up his cup before it sloshed over the edge. “You bitch,” the intruder repeated, glaring at the calm man in front of him. “You think changing your name and appearance will work? Well, fuck that, I still found you. You think you deserve better than me? I’ll show you. No one wants such a pathetic bitch as you, especially here.” He spat on the floor as though to emphasize his point, sneering as he looked over the attire of the man in front of him. “What are you doing, playing as a man? Fuckin’ pathetic, you are.”_

_The man in front of him took a drink of the tea before sighing, setting the cup delicately back on the saucer. “You poor dear, you think I did all this to escape you?” He gave the man a small, tight smile, standing up and brushing off his shirt. “Are you really so delusional? This is who I’ve always been, I’m just finally free to express it.”_

_There was the sound of shouting in the hallway, and the intruder turned slightly, casting an annoyed glance back at the racket. “You really shouldn’t have come, John,” the shorter man said, taking a step back as police entered the room. “We learned from our mistakes. I taught him how to call for help if you showed up.”_

_“Rot in hell, you bitch,” the other man spat as he let himself be escorted out of the apartment. “One day, I’ll get you and that little whelp back, you mark my words.”_

 

* * *

Her skin buzzed with the feeling of sensation overload, all of the receptors fired up and hyper aware of everything she was currently in contact with. Exhaustion coupled with anxiety hit her like a truckload of bricks as she awakened, her head pounding and her mouth dry. Sitting up shakily, she wearily reached up to rub her temples, a cry of pain tearing from her as she moved her left arm. Her eyes snapped open and she gaped at the angry red line on her bicep, a sign that she had been cut open and sewn shut. The cut ran between the two parts of her freckled birthmark, along the line that was the same color as the rest of her skin.

All in all, a clever place to hide a future scar.

Biting the side of her lip, she gingerly touched the spot, hissing as pain ricocheted through her arm. Jerking her hand back, she finally noticed where she was: a cell. Or perhaps, _dungeon_ was a more fitting term.

The surrounding walls were a mixture of stone and dirt, the only light coming from the candles lit on the other side of the iron bars closing her in. _But why candles?_ she wondered, peering out into the hallway made of similar materials. _This isn't the Stone Age- did they not feel like installing electricity?_

The floor was dirt, and was stained with what she could only guess was blood. Wrinkling her nose in disgust, she retracted her bare feet to rest on the hard bed, turning her gaze to the small, rickety table next to her. There was a glass upon it, and she leaned over, suspiciously observing the clear liquid within it before picking it up and giving it an experimental sip. _Blech._ She made a face at the taste, the warmth and staleness of the water making it absolutely disgusting. But she was parched, and so she drank it greedily.

Empty, she sat the cup back down gently before deciding to inspect the rest of her body. There were no other unfamiliar aches or pains outside of her arm, but with her skin tingling she could miss something minor. She pulled off the brown cloth bag she was wearing as a shirt and gently ran her fingers across the exposed skin, more than a little dismayed to find that she was wearing neither bra nor binder. This meant that whoever was responsible for the situation she found herself in had completely stripped her of whatever clothing she had been wearing originally- not that she could remember what that was, exactly. Her memory was still hazy regarding how she got here.

Satisfied that there was nothing new on her upper body, she pulled the overlarge tunic back on. She raised an eyebrow as she observed the sorry excuse for shorts she was clothed in, deciding to leave them on. They were so little that it was amazing that they hid anything at all, and she found herself disgusted with how she looked in them. Grazing fingers along her legs, she pondered who could have brought her to such a place. Her lip curled as she thought of her ex-husband, a silent snarl overtaking her face. She wouldn't put it past him; it would be just like him to humiliate her in this way, stripping her of everything she'd become in his absence. How he could have found such a shithole was questionable, but she knew he had quite a few dubious connections. Plus, he had made it very clear multiple times that wherever she went, he would find her and take revenge on her and their children-

She jerked up suddenly, eyes wide as saucers as she realized she was completely alone. _Shit, my children!_ Her thoughts became panicked and she jumped out of the bed, racing over to the bars separating her cell from the hallway. Hands wrapped around the iron, holding so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

“WHERE ARE MY CHILDREN?” she yelled, voice echoing down the hall disjointedly. “GIVE ME MY CHILDREN BACK!” There was no answer, and she banged a fist against the door angrily, ignoring the pain that welled up from the impact. “ANSWER ME!” she tried again, her level of panic rising further still. “I WANT MY CHILDREN BACK!”

“Shhhhh, MC,” came a soft voice that seemed familiar, and she saw a man walking quickly down the hall toward her. “Shhh, it’s alright.” As he approached, she realized he was young; possibly her age, maybe a little younger. His hair was bleached white, the tips pink and the roots giving the slightest hint of what she guessed was fiery hair beneath. Aquamarine eyes bored into her, his smile a twisted thing, and she had to do her best not to back away as he came closer. There was black choker around his neck with a buckle in front, and he was wearing a dark red shirt with a leather jacket that hung off of one shoulder to reveal a tattoo in the shape of a rather odd-looking eye. “I’m happy to see you awake, finally.”

“Tell me where my children are,” she snarled at him when he stopped in front of her, fury rising when he chuckled at the request. “TELL ME!” she yelled, rattling the bars slightly.

He smirked, tilting his head to look at her with avid curiosity. “You really are stronger than I expected. I suppose that shouldn’t be a surprise, though, considering that when we caught you I thought you were a _man_.” His smirk grew as she narrowed her eyes at him, rage burning in her eyes. “It was quite a surprise to find a woman’s body under all that, but no matter. You’ll still serve our purpose quite well.” He stepped closer, his hands suddenly grasping hers over the bars, his face so close that she could feel his breath as he spoke. “MC, you’re going to do exactly what we tell you to if you want to see your children again. They are our bargaining chips, and you, our chess piece to move as we please. You will infiltrate our enemies and take them down from the inside.” Her eyes widened, shock evident on her face at his declaration. She was no spy! She was merely a single parent, trying to do right by her children. This made no sense at all!

Releasing her, he stepped back again, one arm going across his chest as the other rested on his chin as he gazed at her. She dropped her hands from the bar and carded them through her hair, trying her best to tamp down the anxiety attack she felt coming on. “Why me?” she managed to choke out, raising her eyes to meet his again. “I’m not anyone special. I’ve never done anything like what you’re saying before.”

“Exactly, you’re _no one_ ,” he replied, quirking an eyebrow at her. “You left everyone and everything you know behind and moved here, where no one knows you and no one will know to _miss_ you. You’re a blank slate. The only thing moderately interesting about you is that you like to dress up as a man sometimes.”

“The term you’re searching for is ‘genderfluid’,” she growled, narrowing her eyes at him as he started to pace. “I don’t ‘dress up like a man,’ on those days, I _am_ a man.” She was tired of explaining this, tired of having to defend her choices, and this was no exception.

He waved his hand in her general direction dismissively. “Yes, that, whatever. It doesn’t matter. Do you want to see your children again?” he asked, glancing at her out of the corner of her eye. She nodded quickly, hands wrapping around the bars again in desperation. “Then you will do what we tell you to, got it?” He stopped moving, watching her closely for her answer. Again she nodded, this time a bit slower since it wasn’t something she was happy about. “Fantastic. MC, welcome to paradise with the Mint Eye.”


	2. Entrance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MC joins the RFA

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little chat-heavy at some points, and for the most part it follows what the characters say in-game. However, there are a few variations since the MC is different and "alive" so he initiates a few different responses a couple of times.

MC stood before the apartment, his hands shaking slightly as he waited for the code to be sent to him. He had spent the last three months building up a life in this city, leaving plenty of evidence that he was there as per the instructions of The Disciple. To keep up appearances, he had been allowed regular visits from his children, enough to make him seem like the devoted parent but sparse enough that it was obvious they did not live with him. He had found a job at a restaurant and lived in a tiny, run-down apartment, saving his tips in hopes that when this mess was all over, he would have enough to move to somewhere better for his kids. 

For their part, The Mint Eye seemed to be doing a good job taking care of the two. Any time he saw them, they seemed fairly happy and content, though Tai expressed how much he missed him, and Li would run to him with her hair flying behind her, squealing in delight. As long as MC continued to obey, he saw the kids weekly and received pictures every few days. He just needed to finish this job so they could leave together.

The phone chirped at him, and he saw that The Disciple had finally sent him the code through the messenger. He took a deep breath and punched the numbers on the lock pad, worrying his lip when he heard the small  _ snick _ letting him know that he was free to enter. Grasping the handle, he pushed open the door and stepped inside the modest apartment.

His instructions had been very clear: once inside, join the chat room of the RFA immediately and play dumb. Convince them he had been led there by a hacker, and that he was harmless. With any luck, they'd accept him and let him join. The Disciple had been very insistent that this  _ needed to happen as soon as possible,  _ because there was some sort of ‘special security system’ in place that would activate if he took too long. His questions regarding the exact nature of the security system had been left unanswered and made him, quite obviously, anxious. 

He closed the door behind him and lifted up the smartphone he'd been using for the past few months. Clicking on the app he had just closed, he accessed the chat room of the RFA’s servers and sucked in a breath when he saw how busy it was. There were one, two, three, four,  _ five  _ people on it, chatting away about this and that, not having noticed his entry yet. He opened the keypad but his thumbs froze over the letters; what should he say? What if he said the wrong thing?  _ What if he failed this mission and never saw his kids again? _

Shaking his head quickly, he attempted to dislodge the thoughts stemming from his anxiety. It did no good to think like that, as it only served to increase his nerves. His breath caught in his throat as he stared at the screen, unsure what to say. 

Luckily, he didn't have to worry for long. Soon enough, the foreign presence in the chat was noticed and he was prodded at as they attempted to figure out who he was.

 

> Zen:  Maybe someone downloaded the app on two phones?
> 
> 707:  Maybe?
> 
> Jumin Han: Who downloaded it twice?
> 
> Yoosung★: Not me!
> 
> MC: uhhh… hi
> 
> Yoosung★:  **Gahhhh! It's talking!**
> 
> Yoosung★: 
> 
> Zen: So it's not two smartphones.
> 
> Jumin Han: Who is it?
> 
> Yoosung★: Find out what it is!
> 
> Jaehee Kang: How did you find out about this place? Where did you download the application?
> 
> 707:  **Oh…^^; Wait.**
> 
> 707: Just found something. This is weird. 
> 
> Zen: What is it. Hurry and tell me. 
> 
> 707: I traced the IP…
> 
> 707:  It's from Rika’s apartment.
> 
> Yoosung★:  Rika’s apartment?
> 
> Jumin Han: Where was it?
> 
> Jaehee Kang: The location is not revealed. I know it to be classified.
> 
> 707: Anyways, someone must have broken into her apt. 
> 
> 707: It talked just now, so it must be a person ^^;
> 
> Yoosung★: So it hacked the program, Seven?
> 
> 707:  Yup
> 
> Yoosung★:  Who are you?! How did you get into Rika's apartment?!
> 
> Yoosung★:  How did you get this app?!
> 
> Yoosung★: Gah~ So scared right now...
> 
>  

MC felt bad about the panic he seemed to have incited among the members of the group, but it was to be expected. He had broken into their old leader’s apartment and joined into their private chat, after all. A small smirk fell across his face as they were sidetracked into talking about Zen’s career; it was obvious the one called Jaehee was a fan of his. He had heard the name, but hadn't had time to pursue musicals much in the past. A shame, really; he did enjoy them. Perhaps he'd have to  _ make  _ time to see what Zen had participated in. 

Jumin Han managed to direct the conversation back his way, and he huffed out through his nose, deciding to take the plunge and introduce himself.

 

> MC: um, sorry to startle you guys ^^;;
> 
> 707: Lol so awkward 
> 
> MC: im just as confused as you are
> 
> 707: I thought it was a computer talking.
> 
> MC: my name is MC, but you probably already figured that out from my username heh;;;
> 
> Zen: Seems more normal than I thought.
> 
> Yoosung★:  **What were you thinking?**
> 
> Zen: ...Nothing~ Nothing.
> 
> MC: this app appeared on my phone today so i opened it to check it out and a guy asked me to come here to help return a phone? 
> 
> MC: guess he was lying…
> 
> Yoosung★:  **Should we… introduce ourselves?**
> 
> Jumin Han: Are you serious…?

 

He snorted a bit, not having expected it to have been so easy. While Jumin and Jaehee seemed dubious still, Zen had already opened up with a few tidbits of information about himself, complete with a selfie. He was very attractive, his long, white hair swept carelessly back in a ponytail. Paired with eyes an enticing shade of red, the combination would have been unsettling on anyone else but on him, it was strikingly handsome. His hand was grazing his chin as he gave a little half-smile to whomever was sitting next to him (if there was anyone there), and MC fanned himself at the sight of the 24 year old musical star. The man was  _ really  _ attractive. 

Next was 707, although his introduction was more or less worthless since he only reiterated that his nickname was, in fact, 707 and his real name was a secret. He did choose to disclose the information that Zen’s real name was Hyun Ryu, and seemed unperturbed when Zen appeared to be slightly annoyed about it. MC raised an eyebrow at the screen and cracked a small smile as 707 joked about needing to go pray because of his ‘holy name’- MC was starting to like this self-proclaimed hacker of 22, despite his knowledge that he shouldn't get attached to any of them. 

Yoosung turned out to be an adorable college student, his blonde hair and light purple eyes making him look younger than his 21 years. He used bobby pins to hold part of his hair out of his face, and MC didn't miss the button on his blue hoodie referencing the popular game LOLOL. He himself had enjoyed playing it a few times in the past. 

707 took it upon himself to introduce Jumin as a 27-year-old corporate heir and Jaehee as his 26-year-old assistant. MC wondered briefly how well such a position paid and if it was even possible for someone like him to get such a job. His attention was drawn back to the messenger when a picture of Jumin smiling lovingly down at a gorgeous white cat popped up. Jumin’s dark brown hair was covering part of his face, and his eyes were so dark that they seemed very nearly black. He was also extremely attractive ( _ will I explode from looking at all of these hot men?  _ MC wondered _ )  _ as he rested a hand on the cat who was busy eating. MC tilted his head as stared at the cat; once upon a time, when things were happier, they had had a family cat. Maybe he would get one again. 

 

> 707: MC 
> 
> 707: How did you get the apartment password?
> 
> 707: Did the guy you were chatting with give it to you? 
> 
> MC: ya, he was called ‘unknown’ in here. gave me the address and the passcode to help return a phone
> 
> Jumin Han:  Unknown?
> 
> Zen: Maybe he just didn't set a username?
> 
> 707: It's mandatory to set a username, so he must have set it that way.
> 
> 707: Maybe…
> 
> 707: 
> 
> 707:  **A hacker….?!**
> 
> Yoosung★:  !!!
> 
> 707:  A hacker! No way .
> 
> 707:  I have everything covered!
> 
> 707: So MC, he told you the password for the door lock?
> 
> MC: yeah
> 
> Jumin Han: I see…
> 
> Jumin Han: That ‘Unknown’ person could have dragged you into this.
> 
> Yoosung★: But…
> 
> Yoosung★: you chose to go into the apartment?
> 
> Jaehee Kang: I see.
> 
> Jaehee Kang:  Yes, why did you go into the apartment?
> 
> Jaehee Kang: MC, you are quite strange as well.
> 
> Zen:  Do you think this person’s a creep? No way.
> 
> MC: when I knocked there was no answer and I got worried
> 
> MC: I thought maybe if the person who lived here had lost their phone 
> 
> MC: maybe something bad had happened?
> 
> MC: so I came inside to check and then the app beeped at me again 
> 
> 707: I should try to trace the person who put the app on your phone. 
> 
> Jumin Han: If what she is saying is true. 
> 
> MC: She?
> 
> Jaehee Kang: I think it would be a good idea to contact V.
> 
> 707: Yeah. I think that's a good idea.
> 
> 707: I'll call and explain everything.
> 
> Jumin Han: I can call.
> 
> 707: Already on it lol
> 
> Zen: Fast.
> 
> Yoosung★: Seven seems talk to V pretty often.
> 
> MC: uhhhh
> 
> MC: who's V?
> 
> MC: and what's this chat room for?
> 
> MC: this is so
> 
> MC:  **weird** .
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Keep it all on one line, please. You're as bad as Seven.
> 
> MC: oh, sorry :(
> 
> Zen:  V is... like our boss.
> 
> 707:  **The evil mastermind.**
> 
> MC: ...evil?
> 
> Jumin Han: ...or not. He's the person who has control over this chat room and the organization we’re in.
> 
> Jumin Han: I hope V comes and takes care of all this.
> 
> Zen:  V’s too busy these days to come chat… We'll get to talk to him because of this~
> 
> Yoosung★: We're all busy. I don't like that V’s the only one not coming.
> 
> Zen: Well… that's true…
> 
> Jaehee Kang: V should know that MC is here so let's just wait.
> 
> Jaehee Kang:  Seven, are you calling him?
> 
> 707: Ya.
> 
> Yoosung★: But shouldn't we tell MC what this chatroom is for first?
> 
> Yoosung★: She did ask, and she has to know how serious it is that she's here!
> 
> MC: she???
> 
> Jumin Han: What's more serious is that she's in Rika's apartment.
> 
> Yoosung★: That's true…
> 
> Jaehee Kang: I am always ready to call the police. 
> 
> Yoosung★: Jaehee’s scary T_T
> 
> Jumin Han: Until we figure out who MC is
> 
> Jumin Han: I don't want to reveal anything.
> 
> Jaehee Kang: I agree.
> 
> 707: Wecan.
> 
> 707: Sorry callingvandtypingwithonehand
> 
> Yoosung★:  Type after you finish the call.
> 
> 707: Lookedintoownerofdevice.
> 
> 707: definitecutielol
> 
> MC: ...
> 
> Yoosung★:  You did a background check on her!? So MC is definitely a girl?
> 
> MC: you… you did what?
> 
> MC:  **you violated my privacy!**
> 
> 707: Itolduimahacker.
> 
> 707: Butnoevidenceididit
> 
> Jumin Han:  What? It’s really a girl?
> 
> 707: Ya.
> 
> -V has entered the chatroom.-
> 
> 707: Well
> 
> 707: No
> 
> 707: Yes?
> 
> 707: No?
> 
> 707: I don’t know to be honest lol
> 
> MC: LMAO omg T_T
> 
> Zen: Show me a photo
> 
> 707:  **Nope~**
> 
> 707: How dare you try to violate someone’s privacy like that.
> 
> 707: 
> 
> Jumin Han: ?
> 
> Zen: Is that MC!?
> 
> Yoosung★:  **omg I thought we were respecting her privacy?**
> 
> Jaehee Kang: ;;;;;
> 
> Jaehee Kang:  That is a photo of me.
> 
> Yoosung★:  Oh right! Sorry I was too excited;;
> 
> Zen: So..sorry for not recognizing you;;
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Mr. Han, you can’t recognize me either?
> 
> 707: Lol. Can’t believe he doesn’t even recognize his own assistant.
> 
> Jumin Han: …
> 
> Jumin Han: Now what are we going to do?
> 
> 707: V’s coming here soon. He just hung up.
> 
> V: I’m already logged in.
> 
> 707:  Oh, V! You’re here ^_^

 

Well, heaven help him, Jaehee was incredibly attractive, too. MC looked up from the phone, all too aware of the growing pain in his neck. He hadn't slept well the night before, his anxiety having played the double trouble game of keeping him awake and then plaguing his dreams so that he slept restlessly when he finally passed out from exhaustion. As a result, his muscles were a bit on the sore side. He also was struggling with the feeling of his brain was short-circuiting, a cue that in addition to lack of sleep he had been thrown too far out his loose routine with too much stress piling on. He glanced around the apartment before making his way to a brown couch, collapsing onto it in a heap and coughing when dust swirled around him. It had obviously been some time since anyone had been here. Sighing, he rearranged his limbs so that he was laying down with his knees bent, resting the phone against his leg and pulling a pillow behind his head. With his newly freed hands, he variated between rubbing the back of his neck and his temples, squinting at the bright screen of the phone to try to keep up with what was happening in the chat room. He needed to hold on a little longer. Just a bit more to hopefully complete this part of his assignment and then he could melt down. But not yet; he needed to try to stave it off for now. 

Mostly the members were arguing about the apartment he was in, how it was a classified location, couldn't release the address, V owned it yet never came, blah blah. It was tiring to watch. 

 

> V: Only Luciel and I know the address.
> 
> V: I repeat, since the information must be protected, please do not attempt to find the apartment. 
> 
> V:  Do not ask MC about it and MC, please do not reveal the address. 
> 
>  

He rolled his eyes; this was too dramatic for his liking. It was fit to be a soap opera if it continued down the road it was on. Still, one thing caught his eye…

 

> MC: Luciel? Who's that?
> 
> Zen: That's 707’s real name. ‘Luciel Choi’
> 
> Jaehee Kang: lol
> 
> Yoosung★:  omg Jaehee just said lol
> 
> Jumin Han: I think it's his baptismal name?
> 
> 707: I'm gonna go pray for a moment.
> 
> 707: 
> 
> Yoosung★:  What do we do about her apartment?
> 
> Yoosung★: Can MC stay there?
> 
> V: First…
> 
> V: No one here is going to go to Rika's apartment, right? 
> 
>  

_ He sure likes running the point into the ground,  _ MC mused.  _ I think everyone has it by now. _

 

> V: If it's someone who knows the password…
> 
> V: It might be someone that Rika trusted.
> 
> Jumin Han:  Someone Rika trusted?
> 
> 707: 
> 
> Zen: 
> 
> V: I am only guessing…
> 
> 707:  So then that ‘Unknown’ person…
> 
> 707:  knew Rika!?
> 
> 707: I can't believe she trusted someone more than V.
> 
> Yoosung★: I don't believe that. She couldn't have trusted anyone more than us…
> 
> Zen: That is… a bit surprising.
> 
> V: It's hard to believe myself… But we shouldn't assume that we knew everything about Rika.
> 
> V: She…
> 
> V: had a deep world of her own.
> 
> Yoosung★: …
> 
> Jumin Han: ...Anyways. V, continue.
> 
> V: If I am right.
> 
> V: MC being at her apartment right now…
> 
> V:  **Rika must have wanted that.**
> 
> Jumin Han: Rita called in a complete stranger from up in the sky?
> 
> V: I'm not saying she wanted MC to be there… but maybe… 
> 
> V:  Rika wanted someone to do the work she did before.
> 
> V:  At the place she worked before.
> 
> Jumin Han:  What…?
> 
> Zen: No way…

 

MC watched as the group debated why he was there, whether or not it was Rika who was behind it. Of course, it  _ wasn’t  _ Rika but The Mint Eye who brought him there, and he knew that; but it was not his place to correct them, not if he wanted to see his children again. So he sat back and watched the chat, taking off his glasses momentarily to rub his eyes wearily. He rearranged his position on the couch, the armrest in combination with the pillow putting his neck at an awkward angle and causing it to hurt more. Scooting up a bit, he leaned his back against it this time, rolling his shoulders and neck to try to loosen them up. Glancing back at the chat, he saw that the debate had moved on to whether or not to trust him, with V ardently insisting that everyone trust his decision to admit MC into the RFA. At this point, he felt his energy waning fast and hoped the conversation would wrap up soon so he could curl into a ball and just let his body do its thing.

Finally they turned to explaining who Rika was and what the RFA was about - even though he already knew the latter part - and he played along, asking the appropriate questions to appear naive over the entire thing, gathering more information and learning a bit more about the members by the way they described it all. He noticed that a few of them seemed to fixate on him being a girl, continuing to misgender him even after 707 had admitted he wasn't sure what MC was. He sighed, rolling his eyes but choosing not to comment, for now. Some day in the future, he would choose to have that conversation with the group as a whole, but not today. Today he was quickly nearing his breaking point and had no interest in delaying the end of the chatting. 

V left, and 707 launched into an overview of what was expected of him as the person taking Rika’s old job. It seemed simple enough; all he had to do was handle the guests. Hopefully he could shit his way through that amount of socializing without too many issues, since it definitely wasn't his strong suit. And, just like his job, he'd probably have to pick a “default gender” so as not to confuse or alienate anyone. It was all so  _ tiring, _ having to hide a portion of himself, but at least it was on a part-time basis now. 

Finally, Jumin asked him to officially join the RFA, which he quickly accepted. After that point, people started trickling out of the room, congratulating him on joining and speaking about work. Finally the last person logged off - Jaehee -  and he was left with an empty room. Thanking God, he closed the app and tossed his phone on the small coffee table nearby, sinking down lower on the couch in complete and utter exhaustion. He let all of his muscles go limp and succumbed to the rush of sensations he had been holding back, his mind buzzing and his thoughts jumbled.

 

* * *

He woke up a few hours later, limbs heavy and brain fuzzy. As his eyes focused on the ceiling above him, he began to remember the events that had transpired earlier that day. Groaning, he passed a hand over his eyes and rolled over to stand, raising his arms above him to stretch out. He stumbled into the small kitchen, opening and shutting a few cabinet doors before he found one filled with glasses. As he pulled one down - it was in desperate need of rinsing, dust having accumulated on it as well - he vaguely wondered why no one bothered to clear out the apartment after Rika died. It was a little weird that it had remained completely untouched in the entire time since then, eerie even, that it was fully stocked as though someone could still walk through the door at any moment and declare themselves home. He eyed the fridge in suspicion as he took a sip of the water he had retrieved from the sink, the cool liquid soothing in his parched mouth. He hoped that there was nothing in the fridge that had remained this long; surely if that were the case, it would have smelled? He refilled the cup and walked back to the sofa, scooping up his phone as he sat down, taking another long drink. Unlocking the screen, he was surprised to find a surplus of texts awaiting him. 

 

_ Unknown [13:00 pm] It’ll be really fun from now on. Enjoy your time with everyone. I’ll go get you soon.  _

 

_ 707 [13:30 pm] MC, it’s me Seven. Tell me if you know anything more about the hacker. I report things to V. Welcome to the RFA~ _ ★

_ MC [16:03] hiya seven. hacker sent me a text if that helps at all _

 

_ Zen [13:29] MC, it’s me, Zen. I’m sure this text is surprising. We can send each other texts through this app. _

_ MC[16:05] hi zen. it was nice to meet you. im gonna need to look up your musicals! _

 

_ Yoosung [13:32] MC! It’s me, Yoosung. So nice to met you~! I can’t believe we have another member… Someone can finally do what Rika did… This must be fate, right? _

_ MC [16:08] lolol im your fate, you cant resist me! ;) _

 

_ 707 [16:08] Delayed response lolol, thought maybe u didn’t wanna talk to me _

_ 707 [16:09] I’ll look into the text, thanks! Let me know if he contacts u further _

_ 707 [16:09] What should I call u? He? She? _

_ MC [16:10] sry, i fell asleep lololol, im just tired. id like to address the gender thing later with everyone if thats ok, don’t wanna repeat myself _

_ 707 [16:11] okey, let’s chat later then! _

_ MC [16:12] thanks seven~ :) _

 

He was about to set the phone back down when a thought occurred to him. 

 

_ MC [16:14] wait seven? i have to be at this apartment to access the server, right?  _

_ 707 [16:14] yes that is how it’s set up, why? _

_ MC [16:15] im confused _

 

He was in the middle of typing out a rather lengthy response when his phone rang and he blinked in surprise, noting that 707 was calling him now. Ugh. He  _ hated _ talking on the phone, but in this case, it was probably the quickest way to get to the bottom of the issue. Taking a deep breath, he touched the green light and answered.

“Hello?”

“MC! Hello, it’s me, Seven-Zero-Seven! So that’s what you sound like. Great voice, matches how cute you are really well. Hahaha, sorry, that was probably a little weird, huh? Anyway, what’s on your mind? What’s confusing you?” His voice was clear, a baritone that had the slightest pleasant lilt. The carefree personality he had shown online came through in how he spoke, energy flowing through his words and causing MC to perk up and smile despite himself. 

“I guess I just don’t quite get how this works. I have to be here to do the work, emails and guests and stuff, but what about the chat room? Is that strictly limited to here too? Like, do I have to  _ live _ here? Because I have my own apartment already, and I honestly hate moving…”

He was rewarded with a burst of laughter, light and airy. “Valid questions. No, you can access the chat room elsewhere, just please exercise good judgement since it is a secure room. But the actual work portion of it  _ must _ take place in Rika’s apartment. It’s up to you if you want to move in or not - depending on if your own apartment is better or whatnot - and if you want help moving, I suppose I can volunteer my services and amazing sense of humor to make it go faster.”

“Ahaha, sneaky Seven. I know you just want to meet me, to see how awesome I am face-to-face!”

More laughter. “Ooooh, you caught me! Guilty. As. Charged. Hahaha, if I meet you, then I can learn all of your secrets!”

“Good luck with that! I keep my secrets close to my heart, you’ll never learn everything about me!” He couldn’t seem to help falling into the banter, the teasing coming easily. He was surprised to find that he was enjoying himself. 

“A person of secrets then, how intriguing! Ah, if only I could hack into your brain. No, I suppose I’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way then. Regardless, the offer stands. Rika’s apartment has been empty for a long time. V still pays for it, so someone may as well use it if they want. Up to you, although maybe not if…” He trailed off for the briefest of moments, a slight hesitation before he quickly continued, “just let me know if you need my help.”

“Sounds great. Thanks, Seven.” He was smiling, rubbing the back of his neck as his face flushed. It was really an easy choice; his apartment was so small and dingy, while Rika’s was a decent size and actually surprisingly nice. He’d have to ask V how to pay rent because he had no interest in being a freeloader, but that was something that could be figured out later. “Honestly, I’ll probably move in here. My apartment is shit, heh.”

“Okay. I’ll try to get my work done ASAP then so that I’ll be free to help you. Just shoot me a text when you’re thinking and we’ll get it done. Ah! But my boss is calling me, so I have to go. Feel free to text me whenever! Bye!”

As soon as the call was disconnected, his other phone beeped - the one he had with a direct link to The Disciple. 

 

_ Disciple [16:23 pm] Haven’t heard from you yet. Were you successful? _

_ MC [16:24 pm] theyve accepted me and made me an official member of the RFA. i’ll be moving into the new apartment soon. _

_ Disciple [16:27 pm] Good. Now just do whatever they wish you to. There will be one of ours at your job the next time you are there - give him this phone. When we are ready to move to the next step, I will come retrieve you myself. _

_ MC [16:28] Will i still get to see my kids? _

_ Disciple [16:28] Every Saturday as per usual. Same place.  _

_ Disciple [16:29] Do not mess this up. We will be watching. _

 

MC chewed his lip as he looked at the phone, slipping it back into his pocket. Unlike his smartphone, this was a simple flip phone that he had been using to receive instructions from The Mint Eye. He had conflicted feelings about handing it off tomorrow during his shift - while it would be nice to not have to constantly worry about checking it, it also took away his ability to communicate with anyone on that side. Not that he could use it much as it stood, but that didn’t matter. Nonetheless, he understood why they were taking it away - they needed to break off contact nearly completely so that no one could connect him to them. At this point, it was all in his hands. He was already in, he needed to continue to play his part and gain the trust of all of the members, without getting too attached himself.

 

_ Yoosung [16:32] Ooooh, that’s exciting! ^^ _

_ Yoosung [16:33] You seem like a fun person, MC. I can’t wait to get to know you better! _

 

Of course, that was going to be much easier said than done.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I uploaded two chapters today to help get this started, but after this I plan to add a new chapter every 2 or 3 days so that I can make sure to stay ahead. Thanks for reading! :)


	3. The Move

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MC moves into Rika's apartment with a little help from a friend.

_Bang bang bang!_

MC jerked awake, eyes wide as he stared at the door to his miniscule apartment. Fear shot through his veins at the pounding, his heartbeat loud and quickening as he reached out to grab his phone. Nearly dropping it in his anxiety, he squinted at the screen as he brought to his face to look at the time - 10:25 am - and noting that he had missed some texts from people at work, Yoosung, Zen and Seven, as well as a missed call from Seven, complete with voicemail. He frowned, confused as to why Seven seemed to be trying so hard to reach him; had he messed up something with the party already?

_Bang bang!_

“MC!~ Wakey wakey! It’s rude to leave me standing out here all day!” Relief washed through him as he recognized the voice of none other than Seven singing to him, and he threw the covers off of him, reaching over for his ratty robe and glasses. In retrospect, it had been stupid to think that his ex had found him again; the Disciple had assured him they’d keep him at bay, and if there was anyone he trusted could it, it was The Mint Eye. It was one of the few things out of their so-called ‘agreement’ that he was actually happy about.

He walked over and opened the door, peering out at the red-headed man standing before him. Seven was wearing a plain red shirt with jeans, a grey jacket with yellow accents and a necklace with a cross on it. He lifted a few fingers in greeting, grinning widely, eyes bright behind his yellow-and-brown rimmed glasses, holding up a box of donuts and a couple bags of Honey Buddha Chips. _Ugh, he’s too awake and energetic for this time of the morning,_ MC thought, stepping back and gesturing for Seven to enter. Seven nearly skipped inside, his smile faltering momentarily before he slapped it back on hastily, a slight red tinge appearing on his face as he averted his eyes from MC. Unable to keep from yawning, MC covered his mouth as he closed the door again and motioned sleepily toward the kitchen. “Dunno why you're here, but since you woke me, do be useful and brew some coffee, please. I'll be ready in a moment.” He didn't miss the fact that Seven had seemed surprised by how he appeared, long hair tousled and telltale curves on his chest beneath the robe. Choosing to ignore it, he shuffled to his dresser and pulled out some underwear and a binder before grabbing his black pants from yesterday off the floor and a discarded Lady of the Bracelets shirt and entering the bathroom.

The _whoosh_ of water starting from the kitchen sink told him that Seven was doing the task he had asked of him, which was good considering that he hadn’t gotten off of work until nearly 2 am and would need the caffeine to function at a level above zombie. After taking public transportation home and winding down, it had been nearly four by the time he had finally laid down and attempted to sleep. He was definitely still tired.

He pulled on his clothes quickly, making sure his binder fit securely and comfortably before brushing his teeth. He then took a brush to his tangled hair, squinting in the mirror as he fought with the locks, wishing he had some sort of detangler for when this happened. His hair wasn’t always so messy when he woke, but it had been a night full of nightmares and so he had tossed and turned much more than usual.

He jumped when he heard a _crash_ from outside, throwing open the door and rushing the few feet to the kitchen to see Seven crouched by a broken cup, the handle of it still in his hand.

“Sorry,” Seven said, his smile apologetic as he plucked the large shards of the broken coffee cup off the floor. “I pulled this one down and the handle just broke off. I can pay you back for it…”

MC blinked once at him before doubling over in laughter, peeking up from under his hair to see Seven looking up at him, bemused. “You don’t need to replace a cup, I’m not _that_ broke,” he wheezed, leaning over to pull out his broom. “I mean, I know I live in a shithole, but sheesh.”

Seven reached out to take the broom from him, depositing the shards on the counter before starting to sweep. “Yeah, well, can’t be too careful if you live in a hole-in-the-wall like this. I’m _glad_ you’re moving into Rika’s place.” His tone had returned to its normal joking quality, and MC continued to chuckle as he backed up a few steps, reaching up to start braiding his hair. In a manner of moments, Seven had cleaned up after the mishap and found a bag to place the broken pieces in, tying it together and setting it to the side to be dealt with a little later. He pulled down another cup, placing it beside the one that had successfully made it to the counter, shutting the cupboard and turning to watch MC while the coffee finished brewing. “Do you need help?” he asked, golden eyes following every move MC’s hands made with interest.

Pausing, MC smirked and raised an eyebrow at him. “What, you know how to french braid?”

“Well… no,” admitted Seven, running a hand through his hair and grinning, a blush seeping across his cheeks. “I just… hmm.” He seemed unable to voice whatever was on his mind, and MC thought he had a fairly good guess as to what it was. Despite having said he would clear up the gender thing in a chat, he had yet to broach the subject. It had been a few days since he had joined RFA, and he hadn’t been on more than a couple of times a day because he had been so busy working.

Tying off the end, he sauntered back into the bathroom and clipped the tail and any dangling pieces up off his neck. Now with the exception of his wig, he was ready for the day. “Seven?” he called, grabbing his contact case and opening it. He slid off the glasses he wore, ready to pop the contacts in.

“At your service!” came the playful response, and he smiled, rolling his eyes.

“Not to sound rude or anything, but why are you here?” There was a slight pause before Seven poked his head around the corner, watching as MC placed the second contact in.

“I’m here to help you move, of course! Though I thought you’d have more stuff packed and ready, honestly, since you said you’d be moving today.” Seven motioned at the messy apartment, and MC cringed when he realized Seven was right; he had mentioned in chat that he was hoping to move out today. There was a pile of boxes in the corner behind the door, ones he had brought home after work the past few nights. Honestly, his possessions at this point were so few that it wouldn’t take long to toss them all in and move them, but that didn’t necessarily make him feel any better.

He pushed past Seven, running a few fingers across his forehead as he contemplated what that meant. The coffee was done, so he poured some in both cups and handed one to Seven, who had followed him back. “You didn’t have to help, you know,” he grumbled, getting some milk out of the fridge and adding some to his drink. He offered it to Seven, who refused, before putting it away. He felt embarrassed that there was no place for them to sit, as he had a very small table but no chairs and no sofa. Lowering himself to the floor, he crossed his legs in front of him and leaned against the wall, taking a small sip of the still-hot coffee in his hands.

“I know, but I wanted to.” Seven grabbed the donuts and chips and sat down next to him, placing the food between them. “Have something to eat. As a peace offering? I thought I might wake you but I didn’t know how late you got off.”

MC eyed the options before popping open the box and pulling out a glazed donut. “Thanks. I ended up working the late shift last night, so I didn’t get home and to bed until close to four.” He bit into the pastry, his eyes closing momentarily as the sweetness hit his tongue. It had been a long time since he had had a donut, and it was _glorious_.

He heard a bag being opened and looked over to see Seven popping some of the chips in his mouth. _It seems like he lives off of those_ , MC mused, smirking as he took another bite of the donut. _What an odd thing to have for breakfast._

“Well, the good news is that you have significantly less than I imagined and I think we can fit it all in my car in one go,” Seven said, looking around thoughtfully and munching on chips. “The bad news is that you have almost nothing, so we might need to fix that.” He took a sip of his coffee, pausing with the cup still against his lips when he noticed MC’s wide-eyed stare.

“Ummmm, what do you mean, exactly?” MC questioned, eyebrows knitting together. “Rika’s has a lot that I don’t have, like a, a tv, and some more kitchen stuff and a couch and stuff so I think I’ll be more than fine? I don’t really need that much anyway, I mean, I’m used to living like this…” He bit his lip, panicking internally. What did Seven mean?

Seven waved his hand dismissively, setting his cup down. “Yeah, well, you still won’t have much. We can figure that out later, though; let’s eat and then get this show on the road.”

They finished off the rest of the food, their conversation gradually becoming more lighthearted and full of jesting as MC woke up, his sense of humor returning as he drained the last ounce of coffee from his cup. They set about packing, not bothering to sort things, instead just filling each box to the brim before moving on to the next.

“Your kids are cute,” Seven suddenly said, having found the picture MC had propped up next to his mattress to remind him why he kept going. MC bit his lip and snatched it away, mumbling his thanks as he slipped it into his back pocket. He knew that Seven had probably found that he had children when he did the background check, since he took pictures with them any time he was able to see them. Not to mention that, assuming he had gone so far back, it was public information under his previous name.

“Today’s the day you get to see them, right?” Closing the box he had been working on, Seven set it off to the side and grabbed the last one. He pointedly wasn’t looking at MC, instead keeping focused on packing the last few things that were left in the small living room/bedroom.

MC sighed, turning to face him. “Yes, in a couple of hours I meet them at a cafe for my weekly visit,” he replied, running his fingers across the pad of his thumb nervously. This was dangerous ground they were treading on, one that would potentially require him to default to the lies that The Mint Eye had fed to him to use, and he was fearful that Seven would see through him.

“Do you miss them?” Adding the last box to the completed pile, Seven stood up and brushed off his jeans, eyeing the old mattress lying on the floor. “I vote we leave that behind, by the way.” He moved toward the door, motioning for MC to follow. “Let’s go move my car a bit closer.”

MC paused for a moment, grabbing his wig and settling it on comfortably before following. “Yeah, that’s fine, the mattress should probably be junked anyway.” They stepped outside, closing the door behind them and walked toward the stairs, silently exchanges glances as they ignored the questionable elevators to descend the five floors on foot. “Of course I miss them,” MC answered as they made their way down, shielding his eyes from the oppressive morning light streaming through the windows. “I was with them every day for years until now. Now, I can only see them once a week, if I’m lucky. I just want this all to be _over_ so that I can have them back.”

“What needs to be over?” Seven asked, turning to cast a look of curiosity his way. MC felt the distinct urge to walk over to wall and give it a firm hug with his head, having already made a mistake.

“Oh, uhhhh,” he stumbled in his footing, his mind backpedaling furiously as he tried to think of how to cover his slip-up. “They’re staying with family until I feel like I am in a good spot to take care of them? Um, you know, like, I needed a better apartment than what I had here and needed to save money and all of that. Probably need a better or a second job, too.” He bit the inside of his cheek, staring straight ahead in hopes that he had been convincing. The last thing he needed was for Seven to get suspicious and start looking even closer at his past.

“That makes sense. Don’t worry, the RFA will help get you all figured out!” Seven chirped cheerfully, skipping out of the door as they finally reached the bottom of the stairs. MC laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck as he followed; oh, how he wished the RFA would be able to help him, but unfortunately, that was not meant to be.


	4. Lunch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As per request~  
> The scene where Seven meets MC's children at lunch after helping him move. :)
> 
> Because I'm posting this "late" it will originally say Ch 9, but it's actually going to be moved and put in the Ch 4 slot, since that is where it should be.

The cafe was packed, as was usual for lunch time. It was one of the reasons it was chosen for their weekly meetup, since people were less likely to notice anything amiss when it was crowded. It had an outdoor patio that the kids loved to eat at, chowing down on their food as fast as they could so they would be able to go to the park across the street and play.

MC had felt compelled to invite Seven along to buy him lunch as a thank you, and it had seemed like a great idea at the time. But now as they parked in a lot a block down, he wondered if it might have been a mistake. The kids were always escorted by the same person, a short man with black hair, sharp brown eyes and a nose that had just enough of an upturn to make it look slightly funny. He often sported sunglasses but dressed in a mostly casual way outside of that, so he didn’t stand out to anyone outside of MC, and only then because he knew who to look for. The man would move away to give MC time “alone” with his children, positioning himself so that he could see them wherever they moved. MC had never asked what would happen if they became separated and certainly wasn’t willing to try to run to find out, so it was a fact of their lives he chose to accept.

But he hadn't considered yet how to explain that particular arrangement to Seven, since it wasn't exactly ‘normal’ family behavior. Neither had he considered how the escort might react; the concept of a guest joining him for lunch had never been addressed- especially a member of the very group he was supposed to tear down.

“Hey, you okay?” Seven nudged him gently in the side, snapping him out of his mind. He hadn't realized his musings had shown on his face, but he flashed a weak smile at his companion in hopes of hiding any remains of his fear.

“Yep, fine!” he said, but he could tell that his attempt at reassurance fell flat by the look on Seven’s face.

Reaching out a hand, Seven grasped his shoulder and stopped him, golden eyes unusually serious as he looked down at him. “If you're too nervous about this, I don't have to come. I know you're a fairly private person and that it's a huge step to have someone you barely know meet your kids. I don't have to come. It's fine, really.” He smiled at MC with understanding, glancing over at the cafe. “Of course, I'm nothing but a great influence, as the great Seven-Oh-Seven~”

MC laughed, pushing him back a few steps playfully. “Yes, a hacker is definitely a positive influence on susceptible young children,” he teased, sticking out his tongue at Seven’s pout.

“I don't know what you're talking about!” he protested, mock offended. Placing a hand to his heart, he closed his eyes, a peaceful look falling across his face. “I will pray for you, my child, that you will learn to see the greatness of God Seven.”

“Oh, you’re great all right,” MC shot back, starting to walk toward the café again and motioning for Seven to follow. “Great at being the world’s biggest dork.”

“Well, at least you acknowledge my greatness in some way~” Seven had his hands on his hips and a smirk on his face, but hadn’t made any movement to join MC yet. A gentle breeze rolled through to ruffle his hair, causing a few strands to fall forward to cover his glasses, but he left them, unconcerned.

Rolling his eyes, MC backtracked the few steps to gently shove Seven forward, grumbling “get moving, your holiness,” while trying to suppress a grin. Seven started skipping, giving him a wide, innocent smile over his shoulder as he went. _It’s going to be like having a playdate,_ MC thought with amusement as he watched the redhead. _Since that’s basically a 22-year-old child in front of me._

Entering the café, MC nervously tugged at his shirt, looking around for his children. Even though The Mint Eye had kept their word about bringing them weekly thus far, he was always afraid that somehow he would mess something up and have that privilege revoked. The visits were the only thing that kept him going, coaxing him through the life that had been made for him; without them, without the assurance that his children were safe and being taken care of, he would’ve surely melted away into nothing by now.

“Mommy!”

He spun around just in time to catch the boy that launched himself into his arms, laughing in relief and joy when Tai buried his nose into his neck and inhaled deeply. “Mommy, I missed you,” came the muffled voice, and MC hugged him tightly, returning the words in a low whisper. They stayed like that for a moment until he felt little hands tugging at his jeans, and he looked down to see Li looking at him with wide eyes and a radiant grin that lit up her whole face.

“Alright, Tai, let me hug your sister too,” he said, setting the blonde-haired boy down and picking up the redheaded little girl who had immediately stretched out her chubby arms to him. Tai latched onto his legs, squeezing his thighs tightly as Li wrapped her arms around his neck and giggled up at him, saying a garbled version of “I love you” over and over again.

He felt like his heart was going to burst.

Glancing around, he quickly found their escort, giving him a nod when their eyes locked. The escort returned the nod, making no action to move closer to acknowledge Seven. That had to be a good sign, right?

He started to move toward the counter to get food only to stumble upon realizing Tai still hadn’t let go, and he laughingly reached down to gently pat the boy’s head. “Hey, you gotta let go if you wanna go get food, love,” he said, smiling at the small whine that issued forth from the child. “You can sit on my lap when we eat, okay?”

“Promise?” The arms tightened at the question, and MC couldn’t help the small chuckle that he gave at the hope in Tai’s voice.

“I promise,” he replied, and Tai let go quickly, reaching up to grab his hand instead. “Thanks, dear,” he said, urging them forward into the line.

He felt Li shift to look over his shoulder as she murmured “mama?” in an unsure voice, no doubt having found Seven. She was a shy child, never opening up to people until she’d been around them for quite a while. She was even more wary of men, though; MC wondered if this was due to how John had always acted. He had never struck Li, although he had come close the night they left. It wouldn’t be surprising if her fear of men stemmed from how he had been, though.

Just another nail in the coffin filled with guilt about why MC should have left before it escalated to the point it did.

So he didn’t find it surprising at all when she shrunk into him when Seven approached and said hi, reaching out a friendly hand. “Don’t take offense,” he said hastily, rubbing her back as she buried her face into his chest. “She’s really, um. She’s shy in the first place but it takes her even longer to warm up to men.”

Seven’s face distorted for a moment, a mixture of anger and regret passing over it as he watched her hide. “It’s because of him, isn’t it.” He said it softly, but it wasn’t so much of a question as a statement. His hands fisted by his sides, causing MC to look at him in confusion. It wasn’t necessarily surprising that he had at least a vague understanding of what had transpired between MC and his ex, since he had done a thorough background check. He had probably come across the initial police report in his searches. But this reaction was certainly not something he expected from Seven.

“I think so,” MC answered softly, moving forward with the line. “But I can’t be sure. He never did anything to her.” She whimpered, almost as though she knew that they were talking about John, burying herself further into MC’s shirt, her little fists clutching the material tightly.

“I’m glad you got out of there,” Seven said, his voice low and deadly. He took a deep breath, raking his hands through his hair as he let it out slowly, his eyes closed. When he opened them back up, they were back to possessing the playful glint they usually had, and his lips curled up in a familiar jesting smile. He reached a hand out to ruffle the red hair, causing Li to turn to look at him with eyes as large as saucers, her mouth slightly open. He leaned down so that he was at eye level and gave her his kindest smile as he spoke. “Don’t you worry, little one, you’re safe now. I’ll make sure no one ever hurts you again.”

It was like a knife through the heart to hear that from his lips. MC had to look away from them quickly and take a few breaths to calm himself, not wanting to give away how much that _hurt_ to hear. Seven meant it, he was sure, but it was a promise he couldn’t keep. They were not safe now, nor could he keep them safe when he was part of the group MC had to dismantle in order to get them back.

“Who are you?” Tai’s clear, high-pitched voice cut through MC’s sorrow and he turned his head back to see Seven crouching down and making a face at Tai. Tai laughed and tried to copy it, failing rather miserably but pleased when Seven cackled.

“Hi, I’m a friend of your…” he paused, glancing up at MC unsure of how to designate him. MC smirked slightly, although he understood the confusion. He had never asked his children to call him anything other than mommy, even though that only addressed one side of his gender spectrum. It’s what he was used to and he was perfectly comfortable with it.

Luckily, Tai jumped right in and finished his sentence. “Mommy? You're friends with my mommy?” Seven nodded, and Tai let out a giggle, looking between the two of them in obvious glee. “Yay! Mommy finally has a friend! She didn't have any friends before. Now she has so many! I'm proud of you, mommy!” He jumped forward to squeeze MC’s legs again, smiling joyfully.

MC groaned, releasing Tai’s hand to bring it up to his face, embarrassed at the innocent joy his son felt for him. It was cute, but also dangerous; hopefully he wouldn't bring up anything about The Mint Eye.

Seven flashed him a wicked smile before giving his attention back to the overly excited boy and MC sighed, knowing this would probably be brought back up later. They moved forward another few steps, Seven patiently listening as Tai told him about his friends, rambling off names that MC was not familiar with. It made his blood run cold knowing that they were probably from The Mint Eye, but as long as he was happy with them, he supposed he could deal with it… for now.

Finally it was their turn, and they placed their orders, Seven hemming and hawing between a few things (he had pretended to be insulted when he was told that the cafe didn't carry his precious Honey Buddha Chips) before finally picking something that was “auditorily pleasing.” MC rolled his eyes when Seven waggled his eyebrows at him, amused even as he wrangled his children over to the sole free table outside. Seven hovered a moment to let the kids decide where to sit before plopping down on MC’s left side when Tai held him to his promise and sat on his lap, while Li crawled into the chair on the right side.

“So I know I’m not expert on children,” Seven started, looking at Li with mild interest. “But aren’t they usually still in a high chair at that age?”

MC glanced over at his daughter who was happily munching away, singing the words “num, nummy, num-num, nummy,” over and over again as she ate. It was true that she was still short enough that she should probably at least have some sort of booster, but he had never forced the issue.

“Many are, yes. Others sit in booster seats… but both these turds decided they were too big for that right around this age,” he answered, reaching over to ruffle her hair, earning a toothy grin and a giggle. “Since she can reach and is happy, I just let her be. Gotta pick your battles as a parent, and this is one I’m letting her win.” He helped her with her cup as she drank through the straw, making sure she didn’t tip it up too far to leak all over the pretty blue dress she was wearing.

“Mama, thank you,” she said after her drink, digging her hands right back into the food in front of her. “Thank you, mama.”

Seven’s eyebrows shot up as he smiled at her, a look of wonder on his face. “Wow, she’s very polite.”

MC shrugged, chewing the bite of food he had just taken before answering. “Yeah, both of them are good with saying ‘thank you.’ It’s the ‘please’ that’s the issue. Haha.” He watched Seven keep smiling at her for a little longer before he was unable to suppress his own grin. “You kinda look like a kid in a candy store right now, Seven,” he said, chuckling when Seven’s eyes snapped over to him with the slightest hint of guilt in them. “I’m guessing you like kids?”

Seven gave a sheepish laugh, rubbing the side of his neck as he glanced down at the table. “Yeah, I do. They’re so innocent, pure and adorable. I’d love to have some of my own one day…” he trailed off, eyes drifting to the park that was full of children running and playing with a wistful look on his face before shaking his head and adding quickly, “but that’ll never happen. But that’s okay. I can make do with seeing yours for today.” He finished up by making another silly face at Tai who promptly giggled and returned the favor.

MC frowned, but before he could comment on what Seven had said, Tai piped up. “Your name is Seven? Like the number?” He held up seven grubby fingers as he looked at the hacker curiously.

" _Exactly_ like the number,” Seven leaned forward, raising a hand to give Tai a high-five. He eagerly responded, laughing joyfully as their palms collided. “Yes!” Seven said enthusiastically, doing a small fist pump. “High-five with the coolest boy in the world~”

Tai giggled more, reaching out to do it again. MC cast a glance over at Li to see that she had paused in her eating and was watching the interaction between her brother and Seven intently, the little cogs in her brain moving. _I wonder what she’s thinking,_ MC mused as he glanced back at the boys.

“Did you know that Uranus is the seventh planet in the solar system?” Tai said suddenly, completely serious as he looked at Seven with his big brown eyes wide. “It lays on its side and has rings too.”

Seven looked shocked for a moment before recovering, his voice becoming more serious as well. “Really? That’s super cool. Do you know all of the planets?” Tai nodded, a proud look on his face. “Do you think you could tell me?”

“First is Mercury, and it's really small. Then Venus, and then Earth! We live on Earth. Isn't that so cool?” Tai listed off all of them happily, complete with anything that had caught his interest about them. MC smiled; this was his special interest. The kid absolutely _loved_ space, and was the only four year old he knew who would ask to watch full-length documentaries about it, proceed to _actually_ sit and watch it, and retain the information. Seven started to ask increasingly difficult questions, his eyebrows seemingly permanently up as Tai correctly answered most of them.

Whistling, Seven gave him another high-five. “You know a lot of stuff, little man. Do you wanna go to space someday?” Tai responded enthusiastically, nearly vaulting off MC’s lap in excitement. Smiling, Seven nodded. “Me too. I'd like to get married at the space station.”

“Can I come?” Tai asked, clasping his hands together and giving him puppy dog eyes. “Please? Pretty pretty please?”

Seven laughed merrily, reaching out to ruffle his hair. “If that day ever comes, I will make sure to invite you.”

“Careful,” MC warned, smirking. “He’ll hold you to that.”

Letting out a small gasp, Seven threw him an offended look. “I beg your pardon, sir! I am nothing if not a man of my word. In fact, I-” he cut off abruptly, looking down to see Li tugging at his jacket. “Well, hi there, pretty girl. I love your hair~”

“She wants up…” MC said, watching his daughter in confusion. This was very odd for her. She _never_ approached men after such a short amount of time. What about Seven was different?

Seven obliged, scooting his chair back and picking her up, smiling kindly down at the blue-eyed girl before him. Li was giving him a very solemn look, narrowing her eyes as she regarded him.

“Uh oh, what did I do now?” he asked playfully, laughing when she answered him with a strong “NO.” MC shrugged when he looked over at him, unable to shed any light on his daughter's actions.

She turned away from him, grabbing a piece of his food and looking at it thoughtfully before turning back to shove it at his mouth. “Eat,” she commanded, her tone very serious. Seven didn't argue, instead simply opening his mouth to let her feed him. When finished, she clapped her hands and grinned, her face lighting up like a beacon. “Good baby,” she said, grabbing another chunk of food. “Silly baby. Eat.”

MC laughed as as Seven took the offered food, both confusion and humor on his face. “She's decided you're her baby and need taken care of,” he joked when she shoved another piece of food at Seven. “That's my girl, always trying to take care of those around her.”

“I don't know whether to be touched or offended,” Seven stated while chewing, prompting a lecture from Tai about not talking with his mouth full. Seven choked as he held back a laugh. Li patted him on his chest asking him if he was okay before shoving more food in his mouth.

“Both, probably,” MC said while grinning, finding the sight in front of him extremely precious. “The fact that she's on your lap is amazing, but my guess is she wants to go to the park and you weren't eating fast enough for her.”

“Oh,” he answered, Li sticking another bite in as soon as his mouth opened, grinning and chatting away happily in her own garbled language. He chewed and swallowed quickly before holding up his hands in front of him. “No more,” he said, shaking his head for emphasis. “I'm done.”

Tai jumped down off MC’s lap, brown eyes staring up at him hopefully. “Then can we go to the park? Please, mom?”

Chuckling, MC stood up before nodding, reaching down to take his son’s hand before he could bolt. Throwing away their garbage, they made the short trek to the park, Li sitting cheerfully on Seven’s shoulders.

MC watched as his friend joined his kids in the playground, chasing around Tai and throwing Li in the air, pushing them on the swings and coaxing Li down some of the bigger slides. He couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face as Seven joined in their gleeful laughter, feeling his heart warm at the sight.

What would he have to do to give his children a happy family like that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> crossing my fingers that that was good enough, I don't write children all that often and then I had to elaborate on their names because before I was being lazy... haha. But I drew inspiration from my own children, so hopefully??? they're fleshed out???


	5. Gender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MC finally explains their gender to the RFA.

> 707: MC is all moved in!
> 
> 707: And
> 
> 707: he
> 
> 707: has
> 
> 707: very
> 
> 707: cute
> 
> 707: kids!
> 
> 707: 
> 
> Yoosung★:  **MC has kids!?**
> 
> Yoosung★: 
> 
> Zen: 
> 
> 707: yeah
> 
> 707: and they’re cute lol
> 
> MC: im inclined to agree with you lol :)
> 
> 707:  Well they’re yours
> 
> 707:  Of course you think they’re cute
> 
> 707: but I’m sure
> 
> 707: they got it
> 
> 707: from you
> 
> 707: 
> 
> MC: stop, im blushing lololol
> 
> Zen: Did you see a picture…?
> 
> 707: Nah, I had lunch with them.
> 
> 707:  I just got home!
> 
> Yoosung★:  **What!?**
> 
> Yoosung★:  **You got to meet MC’s kids before we get to see her?**
> 
> Yoosung★: 
> 
> 707: I helped him move
> 
> 707:  so he bought me lunch!
> 
> Zen: …
> 
> Zen:  **He?**
> 
> MC: ...yeah, about that
> 
> MC: ha
> 
> MC: hahaha
> 
> MC: hah
> 
> MC: ...
> 
> Yoosung★:  **MC is a boy!?**
> 
> 707: And a cute one!
> 
> 707: 
> 
> MC: not as cute as you!
> 
> 707: **!!!**
> 
> 707: 
> 
> Zen: But you told us you were a girl?
> 
> MC: mmm no i didnt
> 
> MC: you  _ assumed _ that I was
> 
> Yoosung★: Seven said you were!
> 
> 707: I said I wasn’t sure lololol
> 
> MC: lololol
> 
> Zen: 
> 
> Zen: This isn’t funny.
> 
> MC: its not a joke
> 
> MC: im a boy
> 
> MC: ...today
> 
> Yoosung★: Today?
> 
> 707:  Today he is the cutest boy I’ve ever seen!
> 
> MC: stop it, you troll lol
> 
> 707: 
> 
> 707:My heart~
> 
> MC: lololol 
> 
> MC: i’ll stitch it back together later
> 
> 707:  **Promise?**
> 
> MC: of course lol
> 
> Zen: I’m cringing.
> 
> MC: dont worry, there’s plenty of love for you too! ^^
> 
> MC: and yoosung too of course
> 
> MC: hes the cutest of all of you after all
> 
> Yoosung★: Really!?
> 
> Yoosung★: 
> 
> Zen: …
> 
> Zen: No offense but maybe you need to get your eyes checked lol
> 
> 707: What about me???
> 
> MC: youre on a whole different playing field, god seven lol
> 
> 707: lol
> 
> _ -Jumin Han has entered the chatroom.- _
> 
> 707: I have my own plane of existence lolol
> 
> MC: with lots of cats for you!
> 
> 707: YES!!!
> 
> 707: I’ll love them all
> 
> Jumin Han: Don’t give him cats. All he will do is abuse them like Elizabeth the 3rd.
> 
> 707: T_T
> 
> 707: Not true!
> 
> 707: I love my Elly!
> 
> Jumin Han: She is not yours. And her name is Elizabeth the 3rd.
> 
> MC: lol
> 
> _ -Jaehee Kang has entered the chatroom.- _
> 
> MC: anyway
> 
> MC: im a boy today
> 
> MC: but i might be a girl tomorrow
> 
> MC: or even later today
> 
> MC: idk
> 
> Yoosung★: …
> 
> Zen: …
> 
> 707: lolol
> 
> 707: You guys ok?
> 
> MC: did i break them lol
> 
> 707: You might have lol
> 
> Jumin Han: I am not sure I follow.
> 
> Jaehee Kang: You are genderfluid, then?
> 
> MC: bingo!
> 
> 707: We have a winner!
> 
> 707: 
> 
> 707: Jaehee
> 
> 707: is
> 
> 707: so
> 
> 707: smart!
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Stop that.
> 
> Jumin Han: Please type all on one line.
> 
> _ -Yoosung★ has left the chatroom.- _
> 
> MC: oops
> 
> MC: hope i didnt upset him too much
> 
> 707: nah
> 
> 707: He’ll be back.
> 
> _ -Yoosung★ has entered the chatroom. - _
> 
> 707: Ta-da!
> 
> Yoosung★: Sorry, I had to go look that up.
> 
> Yoosung★: I think I understand now.
> 
> MC: its not that hard
> 
> MC: i dont feel definitively more boy or girl in general
> 
> MC: but some days i lean more one way or the other
> 
> MC: so i go by that gender that day
> 
> MC: sometimes i feel like a girl
> 
> MC: sometimes a boy
> 
> MC: but for work purposes, i default to a boy
> 
> MC: its just easier that way.
> 
> Jumin Han: Is this a common thing among commoners?
> 
> Zen: Now that I think of it, I worked with someone like that before.
> 
> Zen: It actually opened more roles for them. 
> 
> Jaehee Kang: I don’t know if it’s common, per se, but it’s certainly not unheard of.
> 
> Yoosung★: That’s cool!
> 
> MC: ^^
> 
> MC: well now that thats cleared up
> 
> Zen: The person I used to work with preferred to be called “they” or “them.”
> 
> Zen: Do you have a preference like that? I feel bad if we’ve been misgendering you.
> 
> Zen: 
> 
> MC: lolol
> 
> MC: its okay, i never exactly spoke up about it
> 
> MC: if you wanna call me that you can
> 
> MC: otherwise i can let you know depending on the day
> 
> Jumin Han: You have children?
> 
> MC: yes, two :):)
> 
> 707: they
> 
> 707: are
> 
> 707: cute!
> 
> Jumin Han: So you said earlier. Is there any reason you didn’t mention their existence before now?
> 
> MC: it wasnt relevant?
> 
> MC: they dont live with me yet, i have to get into a better situation in this city before i have them move in
> 
> MC: so i didnt think it would impact the party at all
> 
> MC: sry if thats a problem *shrug*
> 
> Jumin Han: No, it is fine. Perhaps, after the party, we can help you meet your goal. It is good to be with your family.
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Yes, I think that sounds like a good idea. 
> 
> MC: ^^ thanks you guys
> 
> Zen: You’re part of the RFA now. We take care of our own! 
> 
> Yoosung★: Yeah! If you need anything, let us know! ^^
> 
> MC: ^^
> 
> MC: gotta get ready for work now T_T
> 
> MC: thanks guys! Later

 

MC closed the app, setting it to the side quickly and letting his head fall back on the back of the couch. While he was thankful of how accepting they had been, he couldn’t stay in the room and read them all typing out how they would help him in the future. It hurt too much. What were the odds that he finally found a nice group of people, people who actually seemed to  _ like _ him for who he was, even though he was a foreigner, and it was a group he had to break apart.

He wished again, not for the first time, that his children weren’t involved in this mess. For their safety, for his… for the RFA. It was too much.

He leaned forward, placing his face in his hands and holding back a sob. They were all too kind, too thoughtful. Seven had even gone out of his way to help him move, something he certainly hadn’t expected on principle but even moreso because they’d never met physically. It had been a fun time, going much faster with the two of them - and Seven even helped him unpack a little at Rika’s apartment - and when he had offered to buy the other man lunch as thanks, Seven had actually initially turned him down on the basis of ‘you need time with your children.’ It hadn’t taken much convincing to get him to come along, and the kids had absolutely  _ loved  _ him. Even Li, who normally took a long time to warm up to anyone, let alone men, had played with him enthusiastically. It wasn’t necessarily surprising that Seven was good with children, but he had never thought to get to see it when it involved  _ his. _

He couldn’t let them do much more for him, not without invoking a mental breakdown stemming from guilt. Not when their fate was set by the current situation of his children. 

His phone chirped, and he sighed, reaching out to grab it. He was about 99% certain it would be a text from Seven, who knew he had tonight off from work. As he looked at the screen, his fear was confirmed.

 

_ 707 [15:26] Are you okay?  _

_ 707 [15:27] You don’t work tonight. _

_ 707 [15:27] Or did you pick up a shift last minute? _

 

Well, shit. Perhaps he should have thought of a different excuse; how was he going to get out of this? Biting down on his tongue in concentration, he started and stopped a reply a few times, erasing and starting over as he tried to figure out how to respond.

 

_ MC [15:30] ~~im okay, i just~~ _

_ MC [15:30] ~~its fine, i couldn’t~~ _

_ MC [15:31] ~~FUCK~~ _

_ MC [15:32] im okay, but thanks for checking on me.  _

_ 707 [15:33] are you sure? _

_ 707 [15:34] if u need me u can just call out ‘defender of justice, seven zero seven, help me!!!!’ _

_ 707 [15:36] there’s a 0.0001% chance I’ll appear before u _

_ MC [15:37] lol _

_ MC [15:37] doesnt seem to be working lolol _

_ 707 [15:39] YOU TRIED!? omg _

_ 707 [15:40] be still my ever-beating heart _

_ MC [15:41] lol you are such a goofball _

_ 707 [15:42] u love me _

_ MC [15:43] tis true lol _

 

Crisis averted, he let out a loud sigh, rubbing his temples. Well. There was that, at least. He gazed wearily at the boxes around him; he needed to finish unpacking.  _ I’m so tired, though… _ he thought, glancing longingly at the bedroom.  _ A short nap shouldn’t hurt. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so horrible at pacing myself. I get too excited when I have stuff written. so...another chapter today :D


	6. Happy Birthday!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MC gets to meet the RFA at their birthday party

MC stared into the mirror, tilting her head to the side as she tried to decide whether or not she was satisfied with her make-up job. She had never been the best at applying it, honestly, and since it seemed she felt androgynous or more masculine most of the time, she rarely ever had the cause for practice anymore. Even on her feminine days, she tended to choose to stay home and read rather than venture out into the chaos of the outside world; the socializing required of her at work sometimes left her too drained to want to interact with others.

But tonight was different.

Seven had told her a couple of weeks ago that he was going to be picking her up to take her to her birthday party. He had given her the date and time, but no other information. Judging from the way the others were suspiciously absent from the chat room that day, she suspected it wasn’t going to be a quiet dinner (if those words were even in the hacker’s vocabulary) of just the two of them - she was starting to think that when he said ‘party,’ he actually meant that.

So tonight might be the night she met the whole of the RFA.

She had felt like she had been freeloading by living in the apartment without doing any work for a while now, but there wasn’t much _to_ do while the charity party date wasn’t set. No one had heard from V since the first day, and she was not alone in getting antsy about not having any true idea of when it would occur. She had been collecting names and emails from the group members for potential attendees, but again, she could hardly reach out to extend an invitation until she knew _when_ the party would take place.

She sighed, deciding that her face was the best it was going to get, and chose to fiddle with her hair a little more. She had gone through multiple hairstyles already, trying to figure out one that she felt looked good; braids, ponytail, half back, down, straight, curly… but she was having an issue choosing. The nerves she felt fluttered like butterflies in her stomach, and she realized that she hadn’t felt like this since she had married John.

That was the last time she had ever felt that way toward him.

 _No,_ she told herself firmly, slamming her palms aggressively on the countertop, her brush rattling slightly. _I will not taint my thoughts with him today_. Biting her lip, she forcefully exhaled before reaching back up to her hair, still carrying a slight curl from when she had attempted it. She pulled the top half back, leaving a few strands hanging down along the sides toward the front, tying it off with a purple ribbon. She felt like it made her look younger than her 24 years, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

She stepped out of the bathroom, absentmindedly gathering her hanging hair up to pull it over her right shoulder as she made her way to the bedroom to poke through the shoes she had there. She didn’t have many, but there was a pair of flats that were close to the same hue as the ribbon she wore. Scrunching her lips to the side, she wondered if it would look okay to wear those in addition to the cream-colored dress she was sporting.

It had actually been rather exhilarating to go shopping for a dress for tonight, since she hadn’t had the fortune to do anything so self-indulgent for quite a while. She hadn’t spent long searching, as this particular dress caught her eye quickly, and it was the right price - which really mattered. It had a modest front, the straps a couple inches thick as they sat on her shoulders and the neckline falling only slightly below her collarbone. The back opened up the tiniest bit to allow a glimpse of skin on her lower back, the skirt flaring out to brush just above her knees. It was covered in a lace the pattern of simple flowers, the same color as the main fabric so that it was only visible to those standing near. She also had a short purple jacket to wear over it, one that ended at the bottom of her rib cage, which she slipped on after choosing the shoes.

Her phone started singing, the song she had designated to Seven ringing out loudly. She rushed to grab it, answering it to find out that he was downstairs, and would she like him to come escort her down? She declined the offer, telling him that she would be down in a moment. Hanging up, she grabbed her small purse, chucking the phone inside and heading out the door.

He was parked in front of the apartment building, and she had no problem finding him leaning against his flashy babe car. Dressed in dark jeans with a green shirt and his typical grey-and-yellow jacket, his eyes widened when he spotted her, a large smile slowly overtaking his face as she approached. “You look breathtaking, MC,” he said, his voice carrying a slightly breathy quality as he opened the door on her side.

“Aha, thanks Seven,” she said, a faint blush rising to tinge her cheeks at his words. She slid into the tan seat, smiling at him as he shut the door and nearly vaulted over the hood of the car to reach his side. He climbed in, glancing at her once more with the same awestruck smile before pulling out into the street, taking them to whatever he had planned for her.

“I think I’m gonna get a cat,” she said suddenly, after the silence between them had turned uncomfortable. Seven seemed to be radiating anxiety and awkwardness, and she couldn’t figure out why. She knew he loved cats, and she had been considering the prospect for a while, so she thought that perhaps it would be a good conversation starter.

“Ooooh, really?” he asked, flashing her a smile as he turned a corner, taking them down a road she wasn’t familiar with. “That’s exciting! Amazing! Cats are the best. When? Can I come and help pick one?”

She laughed, satisfied that her attempt had worked. “Soon, probably, but I need to figure out a few things first. And of course you can come, silly! Do you really think I would pass up the opportunity to receive God Seven’s input? Maybe I can get a holy cat! All praise God Seven!!!!” She bowed as much as she could before him, eyes sparkling in humor.

His laughter rang out in the car, clear and quite possibly the most wonderful sound she had ever heard. “A holy cat! Yes, if anyone deserves that, it is you, my faithful MC! Your adamant faith shall be rewarded, tenfold. I want a cat, but Miss Vanderwood told me no.”

MC frowned, unsure of whom he was speaking of. “Miss Vanderwood?”

His eyes flitted over to her for a moment before going back to the road. “Ehh, my maid. She said that if I were to get a cat, I’d have to pay her more. Double her current salary! Then I’d be broke because of a cat. So I guess I’ll just have to deal with only having my babes.” He patted the dashboard of his car lovingly, a fond smile crossing his face. “They purr like a cat, and are just as much fun, so I think I'll be fine.”

“Well, that’s no fair. I’ll be your cat, then. All the fun and none of the mess. Meow~ Meow~” MC leaned over and rubbed her head playfully against his shoulder, letting out a sound that imitated the purr of a cat. She jerked back when she heard the strangled noise that her playfulness elicited from Seven, concerned that she had done something to upset him. He was staring straight ahead, face flaming red with his bottom lip pulled between his teeth, an unreadable expression upon his face. “Seven? Are you okay?” she asked, tilting her head so that she could look at his eyes.

The question seemed to snap him out of whatever trance he had been in, and he glanced over at her, a strained smile on his face. “Y-yeah, fine, sorry. Just uhhh. We’re almost there…” he trailed off, pointing at a large building in front of them.

MC sucked in her breath as they approached, the tower boldly proclaiming “C&R International” in large, bright letters. “Isn’t this where Jumin and Jaehee work?” she asked cautiously, floored when he pulled into a parking lot with only a brief interaction with the guard at the gate. He turned off the car, nodding in answer before getting out and walking around to open her door.  She took the hand he offered, standing up a little too quickly and swaying as the world blurred before her. She fell forward slightly, feeling her hands land on the warm body before her as arms wrapped around her to catch her.

“Whoa! Are you okay?” His voice was tinged with concern, hands moving to grip her shoulders as she pushed off of him, blinking slowly as her vision cleared up again. Golden eyes dipped to look into hers, filled with worry. She bit her lip, mildly ashamed to have become dizzy enough to stumble into him, but a slow smile crept over her face as she realized this was the perfect opportunity to mess with him.

“Oh, God Seven!!!” she cried, pitching herself back so that he’d be forced to catch her or she’d crash to the ground. As she predicted, he hastily grasped at her, one arm encircling her waist while the other slipped behind her shoulders, halting her descent suddenly. She threw a hand up against her forehead, palm facing the night sky and closed her eyes dramatically, breathing loudly and faking a sob.

“What is it!? What’s wrong?” She could hear the panic in his voice and could feel it in how tight he gripped her. She shouldn’t take such joy in teasing him, but oh, she really did. He seemed to have a secure hold on her, so she allowed herself to drop all of her weight onto him, feeling him shift his stance to accommodate her. “MC, talk to me!”

She let out a shuddering breath followed by a small cry, revelling in how tense he became as he pulled her closer to him. “God Seven, I can’t….” He clutched her tighter, and she opened her eyes to look up at him, seeing his eyes wide and full of fear. “I can’t…”

“You can’t what???”

“I… simply can’t handle your presence.” She bit her lip to try to stifle the laughter she felt bubbling up inside her throat, watching his eyebrows draw together in confusion at her statement. “You’re too intoxicating, too holy for a lowly pauper like me. Oh, please, God Seven, save me… from your sexiness.” Unable to contain it anymore, she burst out in laughter, the hand coming down from her forehead to cover her mouth as tears started to stream down her face.

“Why, you little…” Seven wrinkled his nose at her, pushing her up to stand on her own two feet as he joined in with her laughter. Shutting the car door, he placed his hand on her lower back as he directed her toward their entrance to the building, shaking his head in amusement. “It’s a curse, really, being this sexy. It’s the price I pay for being so holy.”

They entered through a set of double doors, Seven nodding at a couple of guards as though they were old friends. As they made their way to the elevator, she leaned into his side and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. “Hmm. Well, if I were to throw myself at your feet and promise to worship you for all of eternity as your willing slave, heeding your every desire,  _then_ would you save me?”

He made that odd choking sound again, clearing his throat as they entered the elevator. She glanced up at him out of the corner of her eye to see his face was on fire again and that he was running his free hand roughly through his hair. She smirked; oh, she knew what was going on now, and she could have fun with this.

“Uhhh, heheheheh, yeah, um. I could save you… but you probably shouldn’t go around saying that to just anyone, you know… there’s a lot of dangerous people out there.” He coughed, and she noted how shaky his voice was as he spoke. Before she could decide how to move forward, the elevator dinged and he pulled away, stepping out of the door and motioning for her to follow. They made their way down the hallway, Seven expertly taking a few turns as though he had been here several times. He slowed down, opening a door and gesturing MC to enter. Rubbing her forehead, she gave him an uneasy glance before walking through into the bright room.

“Happy birthday!”

Shielding her eyes from the glare of the fluorescent lighting, MC smiled hesitantly at the jubilant faces before her. “Hi, guys,” she said softly, waving at them shyly.

Yoosung rushed to her side, bouncing excitedly with a large grin that lit up his entire face, amethyst eyes bright and filled with happiness. “MC!” he exclaimed, hands clasped in front of him. “I'm so excited to finally meet you! Gosh, you're beautiful. I-I mean, not that I didn't think y-you would be, but I…”

MC giggled as the poor boy’s face started to turn crimson, his stuttering incredibly adorable. She placed a hand on top of his folded ones, giggling more when his eyes grew as large as saucers as he stared at where they were touching. “Thank you, Yoosung. It's nice to meet you too, finally.”

“Watch out or she’ll bite you!” Seven added, snapping his teeth at Yoosung. “She likes to play rough with her friends.”

She giggled again, her hand flying off of Yoosung’s to smack Seven in the chest. He mouthed the word ‘ow’ at her, faking a look of betrayal as he rubbed the spot she had hit. “You deserve it, jerk,” she laughed, sticking her tongue out at him.

“You really are as cute as I imagined,” laughed a new voice, and she turned to see Zen standing next to her, an amused smile on his face. He reached out and gently took her hand, brushing his lips across her knuckles in greeting. Her breath hitched in her throat at the gesture, heart stuttering to a stop when he looked up and winked at her mischievously. Releasing her hand, he took a step back as he said, “normally I would give you a hug, but we were explicitly told _not_ to overwhelm you physically, though without any explanation why.” He narrowed his red eyes at Seven, who chuckled nervously and tugged at his hair, looking anywhere but at her.

“Oh, that,” MC said flatly, twirling a piece of her hair absentmindedly around a finger. “Well, yes. He did well to warn you. I… hmm. I'm not a big fan of touch in general, and I have to feel very comfortable around someone before I will even moderately welcome it. But uh. The bigger problem is that too much can send me into sensory overload and I'm not exactly the um, best company when that happens… if you know what I mean.” She chewed on the inside of her cheek, mind racing as she wondered just _how much_ Seven knew about her. She certainly hadn't expected him to know _this_.

Zen raised his hands, smiling kindly at her. “Well, then we won’t do any of that. We just want to you feel comfortable and enjoy your time with the RFA.”

She returned the smile, thanking him before noticing the last three members were situated by the table in the back of the room, the two men immersed in conversation while Jaehee gave her a cheery little wave, which she reciprocated nervously. She tugged at the piece of hair she had been twirling, a little harder than was necessary and caused herself to flinch, her nerves spiking at the prospect of meeting still more people, especially two as important as Jumin and V. She tensed when a hand landed gently on her shoulder, jerking to look up into Seven’s encouraging face.

“You’ll be fine, don’t worry. They’re nice guys. Well, V is, but we all know Jumin is a bit more of an ice queen.”

She cocked her eyebrow at his descriptor, trying to hold back a smile. “Ice _queen?”_ she asked, feeling the tips of her mouth twitching.

A look of innocence crossed his features, and he raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. “Oh my, what a grave mistake I have made. Surely Jumin is the kingliest of us all!” He raised his voice so that it carried across the room, gradually moving in the direction of the three while tugging MC along beside him. “We must all call him King Jumin and bow to him, else he shall freeze us with his powers of ice and snow! All hail King Jumin!”

Jumin merely cast an annoyed glance his way before turning his attention back to the blue-haired man in front of him, eyes passing over MC without so much as a nod of acknowledgement. She slumped a little, breathing out heavily at the dismissive action; perhaps Jumin had no interest in meeting her? She felt Seven’s grip tighten slightly on her arm before he continued with his teasing.

“Oh, my great and powerful King, what must us lowly commoners do to gain but a moment of your time?” Letting go of her, he dramatically fell to the ground before Jumin, bowing with his head touching the floor and his arms out in front of him. She bit her lip and giggled, a hand going up to cover her mouth as she shook with the laughter she was trying to restrain. “Please, most royal one, I beg of you; grace us with your attention and share with us your most profound knowledge!”

“Luciel, really, this is ridiculous. Get up off the ground,” Jumin chided, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked down at the man prostrating himself before him. “It is unbecoming for a grown man to act in such a manner.”

Seven stood up, brushing off his pants as he looked over to see MC completely red-faced, both hands clapped over her mouth as she tried to keep from bursting into laughter. He grinned at her before turning back to Jumin to reply, “maybe, but at least ~I~ was able to make our guest of honor laugh! I am happy to be the court jester under thy rule, it is the highest honor I could receive.” He bowed once to Jumin and then again to MC, adding on a flourished gesture when facing her.

Unable to hold it back any more, MC’s laughter rang out between her fingers as she doubled over, little snorts coming forth whenever she breathed in. Eyes widening and face flushing, she clamped her hands over her mouth tighter, trying to stop the embarrassing noise but only exasperating the issue, her own failure causing her volume to increase.

“Oh my, that is absolutely _adorable_ ,” Zen cooed, chuckling under his breath. “Never have I ever heard such a cute little noise.”

Wheezing, MC fought to tamp down her laughter to a more manageable level, thankful when she was successful. She straightened back up, biting her lip as her face flamed red, refusing to look at any of those surrounding her. “I, uh. I’m sorry about that,” she apologized, fingernails digging into her thumb.

“No need to apologize,” Jumin said, stepping forward. She risked a glance up at him, surprised to see him smiling at her. “At least Luciel has someone who appreciates his odd sense of humor. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, MC. I'm Jumin, in case you were not aware.” He offered her a hand, which she shyly took, doing her best to return the firm grip as they shook in greeting. Gesturing to his left, he continued, “this is Assistant Kang.” Jaehee smiled and gave her a fairly warm hello, something MC returned gratefully.

“And I am V,” said the final man, his expression open and welcoming. “May I?” he asked, motioning toward her hand that was still tingling from Jumin’s touch. She nodded, extending it and he gently clasped it between both of his, his smile bright as he gazed at her. “It is an honor to be face-to-face with the person who breathed life back into the RFA. Thank you, MC, for everything.”

“B-but I haven't done anything yet,” she protested, eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

His smile widened, genuine hope shining through. “On the contrary; you have already done so much for us, and I can't wait to see what else is on the horizon.” He dropped her hands, letting his own fall to his side as a few mixed emotions flashed across his face before being chased away by a polite mask. “But I won't monopolize your time. Please, enjoy yourself.”

She managed to keep looking calm on the outside, thanking him for his kind words and allowing herself to be escorted by Seven over to the table where some refreshments and cake were sitting on, but inside she was a mess. These people were so kind, so _nice_ to her, and she had to rip it apart in order to save her family. Guilt reared it’s ugly head to gnaw away at her internally, turning what should have been a pleasant evening into a form of torture for her. It didn't help that parties weren't generally something that she enjoyed, what with all the socializing and potential touch and sound overload. The RFA, though; they were being very respectful and careful. They kept their voices down and nobody touched her without first asking - and even that was rare. The exception was Seven, who remained a stabilizing force by her side, helping break the ice she would erect between herself and whoever spoke to her and occasionally placing a grounding hand on her arm when she would start to feel overwhelmed. She wondered if his reactions to her shifting mental wellbeing were intentional or instinctual, thankful either way to have him there.

She was in the middle of a rather riveting conversation with Jaehee where the other lady was busy raving about a certain performance of Zen’s (and acting it out rather well, in MC’s opinion) when V spoke up, calling the attention of the room to him. Turning to face him, she watched as he smiled lovingly at the entire group, not unlike a father with his children. Brushing his soft blue hair out of his face, he began to speak.

“A month ago we were blessed with a new addition to the RFA. While we may not know exactly what brought her to us, I think we can all agree that we're glad she is here.” There was murmured consent from the others, causing MC to blush and shift restlessly. Seven wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side and looking at her proudly as V continued on. “I know you’ve been waiting for me to set a date for the party, some of you more patiently than others. Thank you for waiting. I've thought long and hard about this, and I believe it's better to have it sooner rather than later. So I would like to set it for a month from now.”

A few gasps rang out in the room, with Yoosung the first to step forward, disbelief written on his face. “But isn't that too soon? MC won't have much time to prepare! I think we should wait.”

Seven shifted his weight, and MC looked up to see that he was also frowning. “I agree,” he ventured cautiously, tightening his grip on her slightly. “That's a rather short timeframe to get everything ready in; is it even possible?”

V shook his head, crossing his arms on his chest. “It is fairly soon, but since it is the first time MC is holding a party, I thought it best if we keep it small. If we all work together, we'll be able to pull it off.”

“Hmm. Okay, I'll do as you say… but it still feels too soon.”

“Thank you, Luciel. Please trust me on this, guys. I know you've all been giving MC information for potential guests already, so we're already doing well. I am afraid that I need to take my leave now; I have a flight to catch. MC, I would like to speak with you before I go.” Finished, V stepped over to talk with Jumin, presumably to say his farewells or disclose something else about the party.

“Well, at least the date is set,” Jaehee said, taking a sip of the coffee she had brought with her. “Now we can move on to the next phase.”

Yoosung made a face that landed somewhere between disgust and irritation, looking over his shoulder at V, who had finished with Jumin and was heading their way. “He tells us the date and then says he's leaving. Ugh, I can't believe him! Does the party mean _nothing_ to him?”

“It actually means quite a lot to me, Yoosung,” spoke up V as he stopped next to MC, gesturing for Seven to let her go. “I'm afraid this trip is unavoidable, but I'll be back before the party. I'll also do what I can to help while I'm away.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Yoosung grumbled, walking away to join Zen by the refreshment table. Seven motioned for Jaehee to follow him as he went to join Jumin, casting a reassuring smile at MC over his shoulder. MC watched him go, feeling her anxiety start to peak as he left her alone with V. Fidgeting, she grabbed a piece of hair again and twirled it around a finger.

“Hey, it's okay, no need to be nervous,” V said, his voice becoming instantly soothing and calm. She blinked up at him, chewing on her lip and offering him a tight smile, unsure what to say. “I just wanted to thank you again- you've been amazing, and I think you might actually be able to save them… something I failed at.” Sadness crept across his face at the declaration and he glanced over her shoulder, a deep sorrow in his eyes.

MC frowned; what on earth was he talking about? Her, save them? How? From what? From The Mint Eye? That was impossible, she had too much at stake. As much as the RFA didn’t deserve it, she _had_ to be their downfall in order to save her children. No matter her personal feelings about any of them.

“MC, listen to me,” V leaned forward, his voice dropping to nearly a whisper but increasing in intensity. His blue eyes bore into her own, and he grabbed her hands to hold them firmly. She flinched back slightly, not having expected the touch or the shift in the atmosphere, but did her best to hold his gaze, understanding something important was about to be said. “You know we will do anything for you, right? _Anything_ you need done, we will do our best to make happen. And between Jumin’s resources and Seven’s skills, we can make a _lot_ happen. Understand?” The tone took on an almost pleading quality at the end, as though he were begging her for something, to understand some hidden meaning in what he said. What, she didn’t know.

She nodded slowly, and he released her, the air around them reverting back to calm just as suddenly as it had changed before. “Thank you, and please, stay safe,” he said softly, lifting a hand in farewell as he turned and rushed out of the room. Her eyes trailed him, confusion coupled with exhaustion making it hard for her to think coherently.

“Hey, are you okay?” Seven appeared at her side the moment V departed, concern written across his features when she looked up at him.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she responded, glancing back at the doorway V had left through only moments prior. “Just… getting tired.”

His eyebrows drew together at her statement, and he placed a hand tentatively on her arm. “Do you think you have enough in you to stay for cake? It’d be a waste if we didn’t cut into it.”

She let out a small laugh, glancing over at the fancy cake sitting pristinely on the table, still untouched. “Yeah, I can do cake. But I’d like to go home after that, please? If that’s okay?”

“As you command,” he responded, bowing before her with a mischievous smile on his face. “I am but your humble servant. When the queen is ready to depart, I will prepare her chariot.”

Her laugh became more genuine as she smacked him on the chest. “God, you are incorrigible,” she said, shaking her head in good humor.

“Why, thank you!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh, poor Seven.


	7. Yoosung

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MC has a bad day, and Yoosung tries to cheer them up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Self-harm mentioned here. If that triggers you, you can skip past the first three page breaks- it's safe from there on down.

MC was not having a good day.

He had had an early shift at work after a late night, covering for a coworker who was out on vacation, which started his day off poorly as he wasn’t used to having to awaken before mid-morning. He was grumpy from lack of sleep and from a change in his routine, and to top it off, the customers over lunch had been exceptionally rude to him today, a few even nitpicking at his gender. Granted, his ability to pass as a man was very inconsistent and today had been a rather off day for that, but he could usually roll with the punches without letting it get to him. But along with the exhaustion had come a heightening of his sensitivity, and one couple had made such rude and condescending remarks that he had almost broke down right then and there.

 _Perhaps I’m on the verge of another depression session,_ he considered as he stopped at the store and splurged on some ice cream and cheap wine, his go-to for when he needed to eat and drink away his feelings. _It wouldn’t be surprising, considering how my life has been the past year._ Actually, what was more surprising was the fact that he had survived _this_ long without falling into the black hole of his mental illness; even with medicine, it seemed an easy task to tip him over the edge.

But the biggest reason that it was a bad day was because it was Tai’s birthday, and he didn’t have the ability to be with him.

His son was turning the big five, and he doubted that he’d even be able to speak with him to wish him a happy birthday. He had been stockpiling gifts over the past week, buying things as he saw them, planning to send a few home (oh, how it _hurt_ to think of his home being with The Mint Eye) with him on Saturday and keep the rest for the day they were reunited. Thankfully the party was set to occur before Li’s birthday rolled around, so they would be together again for her special day.

Not that he knew where they’d be living, or even if they’d stay in this area.

He punched the numbers in on his apartment door, letting himself in. Kicking his shoes off, he made a beeline for the kitchen to grab a spoon before slumping on the couch, tearing off the lid to the pint of ice cream and digging in. He paused only to open the wine bottle, taking a swig directly from it as soon as the lid was off. He reached over and pulled his new laptop over to him - a surprising birthday gift that had left him flabbergasted, it had been unmarked but he was fairly positive he knew who it came from - and turned it on, planning to play one of the games he had purchased on clearance for it. He had done a little bit of research, knowing what kind of genre he liked, and had ended up purchasing a game called Dragon Age: Origins. It was a few years old by now, but it looked interesting and he figured it would work to deaden his emotions as well as any other one would.

But even as he created his character and started the campaign, he couldn’t quite manage to ignore the pain he felt. It was like someone had released razors into his bloodstream, small enough that he couldn’t constantly feel the slicing and stabbing but one wrong move and there they were, eating away at him, reducing him to nothing.

But at the same time he felt numb. Like he was the living dead, shambling through life but unable to feel anything, all sensation and emotion gone from the world around. Was he truly alive, or was this all a horrible nightmare that someone else was writing for him?

Sighing, he pushed the laptop away and stared down at his arms, dragging a finger slowly up one, tracing the pale lines that were there from past struggles. Whenever he thought that he wasn’t alive, this was the only way he knew how to reassure himself that he was. Mind made, he stood and walked into the kitchen, fingers dancing across the choice of knives in the knife block before choosing one and moving to the hallway, dropping down to the floor near the entrance to the bathroom, just in case.

 

* * *

 

Yoosung was in the middle of a boss battle in LOLOL when his phone went off, madly clicking and tapping at his keys when it buzzed on his desk. Typically he would ignore it when he was busy with the game, but something in his gut told him he that this was different. Switching to using the keyboard completely, he thanked the heavens that he was talented enough at this game to be able to adequately play his character with a handicap, his free hand blindly grasping across the surface of the desk until it closed around his phone. Glancing over at it, he saw that he had missed a call from Seven, but it buzzed again while in his hand, a text popping up on his screen.

 

_707 [16:45] I need you to call me ASAP plz!!!_

_707 [16:45] It’s about MC_

_707 [16:46] SOS_

 

That certainly didn't sound good. “Hey guys, I've gotta get off the headset for a moment to take an important phone call, sorry,” he said before pulling it off completely and setting it to the side, muting himself quickly as he called Seven back. “Hey, what's up?” he asked as soon as he heard the line connect. He listened intently as Seven explained what was going on, his eyes widening and hands stilling as the gravity of the situation sank in.

“But why can't you do it? He's closer to you than the rest of us.” His fingers typed a speedy apology in the guild chat, explaining that a family emergency came up and that he'd have to leave immediately. Closing the game, he swung around in his chair and stood, grabbing his hoodie on the way out of his bedroom.

“O-okay, I'll try my best. I don't know if he'll want to go with _me,_ though.” He slid his shoes on, face wrought with concern as Seven continued talking. “Yes, yes, _I get it,_ Seven. I'll do what I can. Bye.” Gulping, he pulled up the contact information and dialed MC’s number, bouncing on his toes nervously as he waited for him to answer.

 

* * *

 

MC had been toying with the knife for a while now, poking and prodding at his skin, dragging it lazily up and down his arm, leaving small scratches in its wake, but he had yet to dig it into his flesh. It always took him a while to work up to it, wanting to drag it out as long as he could. The physical pain it brought would temporarily blot out his emotional duress as well as confirm that he did indeed exist as a being of flesh and blood.

He was about to finally make the first cut when he heard his phone go off in the living room. Lowering the knife, he briefly considered going to get it before deciding to ignore it. Whoever it was could wait; it wasn’t one of the personalized ringers he had set so he didn’t feel any particular need to go out of his way.

But when it ended and nearly immediately started over again, he pursed his lips in annoyance. Apparently the person on the other end really wanted to reach him. Letting out a weary sigh, he stood and retrieved it from the coffee table, moderately surprised to find Yoosung calling him. They had only spoken over the phone a handful of times, the other man shy and awkward, and carrying on a conversation with two awkward people wasn’t the easiest thing to do.

“Hello?” he answered, staring at the blade longingly as he sat down on the sofa.

“Oh… you picked up right away! Well, this time, anyway, haha. Uhm… So… I called because… I wanted to know if you were busy this afternoon? I was kinda thinking about going to a movie but I don’t really wanna go alone, and I’d like to get to know you better…” Yoosung trailed off, a little bit of nervous laughter following his words. MC unconsciously gave a half-smile at how cute he sounded like this; despite the fact that they were only three years apart in age, sometimes MC felt like he was decades older than the younger man. Perhaps it was just a matter of differences in personality, but more likely than not, it was because MC had to grow up very quickly whereas Yoosung did not.

“Well… I don’t know, I mean… I was kind of planning on staying in,” he replied, biting his lip as he glanced back over at the knife. “I had a rough day at work and I need to unwind.”

“I can help you unwind! I mean, if you want me to.. We don’t even have to go to a movie! We can do whatever you want, I don’t care, as long as you’re happy. Just… don’t shut me out, okay? Let me help.” His voice was pleading, causing MC to frown. The way Yoosung was speaking combined with the timing of the phone call seemed rather uncanny, almost like he _knew_ what MC had been about to do. But that was impossible, right?

He hesitated, caught between knowing it would be good for him to go out and not wanting to. “I… I don’t know,” he said slowly, helping himself to another spoonful of the ice cream which was melting quickly. It was a tough decision.

“I promise we will have fun,” Yoosung said enthusiastically, although MC could tell it was a bit forced. “It’d be good for both of us to get out of the house, haha. Spend time with friends… well, I _hope_ we can be friends…”

Defeated, MC screwed the lid back on the wine and took it to the fridge, placing the ice cream in the freezer for later. “Okay, fine, I’ll let you drag me out of my cave for the afternoon,” he replied, raising an eyebrow when he heard Yoosung’s audible sigh of relief. “But I want to take you up on that offer of a movie. I want something to distract me. But after that, maybe we can… I dunno, grab something to eat and just talk? If you’re okay with that, I mean, I don’t want to, like, force you to do anything…”

Yoosung laughed, his tone becoming more relaxed and confident when he realized MC was just as unsure as him. “I can do that. It’s fine. Meet at the theater, then? What will you be wearing? Ummmm… that was a weird question, sorry, haha…”

MC let out a snort, giggling at the embarrassment radiating through the phone. “I know what you mean. To be honest, I’m not sure yet. I’ll look up what’s playing and text you what looks good, and we can go from there? Does that sound okay?”

“It sounds great. I’ll be waiting!”

MC hung up the phone, immediately pulling up the website on it to look at the movies currently available to see. He hadn’t been able to answer Yoosung’s poorly-veiled question about if he’d be showing up as a guy or a girl because he’d felt his preference shifting throughout the day, though he wasn’t sure he could say that he felt particularly feminine.

Oh well. He’d pick a movie and then go from there. He hoped that the outing would be as interesting as it sounded, and that it would be the distraction that he needed to make it through the rest of the day.

 

* * *

 

 

“So what would you like to do now?” The pair were walking down the street, munching on some goldfish-shaped bread they had purchased from a truck. The movie had been a rather pleasant experience, successfully distracting MC from all of her worries. She had purposefully picked a scary one, even though she typically avoided those due to her overactive imagination, but she would rather deal with the made-up boogeymen of the night than the reality of her situation. Yoosung had even let her clutch onto his arm and bury her head into his shoulder when she was scared, draping an arm over her shoulders when he got over the initial shock of the contact. He seemed to enjoy the movie (although that may have only been _because_ of her using him for comfort) even though he had initially seemed hesitant about the genre she chose.

“Hmm…” She bit into the bread, enjoying the taste of the bean paste as she considered what to do next. After the movie, Yoosung had talked her into a short walk through a nearby park where they had run into the vender who was selling their snacks. It was a gorgeous day out, and she found herself remarkably comfortable in his presence. They had spoken a bit about his classes and Rika, and she had shared a bit about her children. “Well, before you invited me out, I was going to play games. I know that’s something you like doing, so maybe we could find a game to play together?”

He brightened immediately at the suggestion, his purple eyes dancing at the thought of them gaming together. “That sounds great! What would you like to play? I have plenty of different things at my house! Well, that’s assuming you’d be fine with going to my place, which you don’t have to, of course…”

She laughed, placing a hand gently on his arm. “I am 100% good with going to your place, Yoosung. Hey, do you have Mario Kart?” she asked, perking up and looking at him hopefully. At his nod, she couldn’t help but release a small squeal of excitement, clapping her hands and bouncing. “Oooh, fantastic! I love that game so much!” It had been one of her favorites growing up, and she used to be relatively good at it. It had been a long time since she’d had the chance to play it and she couldn’t help the goofy grin that took over her face in anticipation.

Luckily Yoosung didn’t live too far from where they were, so they just walked the rest of the way, her excitement growing as they closed in on their destination. He seemed just as pleased to have the chance to race against her, and they chatted about it as well as other games she had played, finding they had a decent amount in common. Most of hers were from childhood, but Yoosung had made up for his game-free years by eagerly devouring all of the old popular ones as soon as he was on his own. One of his favorites was The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, and she sadly admitted that she had missed out on that one. Horrified, Yoosung had assured her that he would loan her the game and the system it had originally come out on (which made her curious - how many systems did he have, exactly?) so that she could experience the joy of saving Hyrule. Pokemon was a mutual favorite of theirs, but while she had stopped playing it once out of high school, he had started in college with the originals, and still bought and played through any new games released.

“That’s kinda lame, huh?” He was blushing slightly, his grin embarrassed as they walked up to the door to his house, him pulling a key out of his pocket and fitting it into the lock. He pushed open the door, stepping aside to let her enter first. “I probably shouldn’t be bragging about that kind of stuff. It won’t help me get a girlfriend, anyway.”

“Well, I don’t know about _that,"_ she said, kicking her shoes off and heading in the direction he told her to go. “There are girls out there who find gaming cute.” She settled down on the dark brown sofa that faced his TV, raising her eyebrows when she saw how many game systems were meticulously placed on the entertainment center. _Impressive._

“Are you one of them?” he asked, his cheeks turning even redder as he knelt down before the TV, turning on the Wii that was beneath it and grabbing a few wheels complete with remotes. He peeked up at her from underneath his blonde bangs as he handed her one, a small, shy smile on his face.

The question caught her off guard, and her hand went up to the necklace she was wearing, fiddling with the small opal set in silver, something she tended to do when the direction of a conversation went so far off her predicted path that it left her disoriented. Feeling like a deer in headlights, she bit the side of her lip before cautiously answering “yes, I think it’s cute when done in moderation.”

His face fell slightly at the answer, turning back to the screen to get them through the first set of options. “That’s… that’s a good answer.” They sat in a somewhat awkward silence for a bit as they chose characters, MC choosing Yoshi and Yoosung picking Mario. “Haha. We picked the two best buds of the series, what’s that say about us?” he spoke up, breaking the silence and trying to lighten the mood.

“That you like to ride me?” MC answered without thinking, her brain catching up with her mouth belatedly. “I mean, my character…!” She felt heat rush her cheeks and a quick glance at Yoosung confirmed that he was also sporting a deep crimson color, one of his hands covering his mouth as he whispered “oh my god…” and obviously trying to contain laughter. “I can’t believe I just said that...” she groaned, bursting into laughter, relieved to hear Yoosung join in next to her.

The game beeped at them as the other characters took off, and they scrambled to catch up, both still giggling as they played. The atmosphere became more relaxed the longer they played, and they eventually started talking again. Yoosung kept bringing up Rika, at one point mentioning that MC was not nearly as like Rika as he had originally thought – MC was uncertain if that was a compliment or not, but chose not to let it dig into her – but that he liked her just as she was. MC got the feeling that he had bottled up a lot of his feelings about his deceased cousin, and so she slowly started to prod at it.

“It’s time to eat dinner,” he said suddenly after she had asked a particularly sensitive question, not meeting her eyes as he stood up and rushed into the kitchen. She watched him disappear around the corner, wondering if she had pushed too far when he called from the kitchen, “I have some leftover kimchi, if that’s okay? I made it myself, so I can’t really guarantee how it tastes…”

“I’m sure it’s delicious, Yoosung. That’ll be fine,” she answered, pulling her knees up to her chest as she waited for him to return. It didn’t take long for him to serve it, handing her some chopsticks and sitting back down in his spot. “Thank you,” she said, smiling as she dug in, excited to try the new dish.

“You’re welcome,” he replied, poking at his hesitantly for a moment before handing her a picture as well. She took it, confusion evident on her face as she looked at it. “That’s from my graduation,” he explained, sadness in his eyes. She realized the young man with brown hair sitting down on the chair was Yoosung, surprised that she hadn’t recognized him despite the different hair color. Standing behind him was Jumin, V and Zen, but no one was smiling at what should have been a happy occasion. Shifting slightly, Yoosung took a bite before he continued. “That was the day I found out that she…” he paused, taking a deep breath, and MC could see the torment hidden under his skin. “That she died. So she couldn’t come. I… I needed her. She was such a wonderful, caring person, and she helped me so much. I guess I kind of gave up after she left… I haven’t exactly been trying in college.”

She placed a hand on his, her face full of sympathy but not saying anything, silently urging him to continue when ready. He took another bite, chewing slowly and swallowing before looking at her. “Have I ever told you what my major is?” She shook her head, and he gave her a small smile. “I don’t think anyone in the RFA knows.” He sat down his bowl, standing up and going over to a bookshelf, pulling out a small picture album and bringing it back to the couch. Flipping through a couple of pages, he came across a picture of him and a small dog, and he pointed at it. “This is Sally. She was Rika’s dog. She was such a sweet puppy, and she lived a long life. In the end, she went blind and ran out into traffic and was killed. Rika took it really hard, blaming herself for Sally’s death, saying that she should have known Sally was sad about not being able to see. But it wasn’t her fault, it was the vets. So I vowed to become a vet one day, so that I could protect all of her pets.”

“Yoosung… that’s so sweet of you,” MC said, both impressed and saddened by the knowledge of what had driven him in school. _He would make a very good vet,_ she thought as she watched him stare at the photo a moment longer before shutting the album, putting it aside to pick up is bowl again. _He’s smart, caring and a good person._ “You know, I think you would make an amazing vet,” she stated, smiling at him when he looked up at her in surprise. “I would take any pets of mine to you in a heartbeat!”

“Really?” he asked, a grin spreading slowly over his face. “Do you think… I should continue?”

“Yes!” she blurted out immediately, nodding enthusiastically. “Keep going in your program! And you should devote more time to your studies, so that you can do well. I believe in you!” She did a small cheer for him, pretending to have pompoms and causing his cheeks to tint red again, but happy to see the joy spreading across his features.

“Okay, I will! I feel like I can do anything with you cheering me on, MC,” he said, grinning widely. They finished eating their kimchi in a companionable silence, their eyes occasionally meeting over the bowls, both looking away nearly immediately. It was nice, having another friend she felt comfortable with. When they were both done, Yoosung stood up and took the bowl from her, disappearing once more into the kitchen. When he came back out, she had stood up and was stretching, arms raised above her head as she extended her spine as far as she could, sighing happily when she felt a few of her vertebrae pop. When she glanced over at him she found him frozen in place, staring at her. She blushed, biting her lip. He took a step closer, eyes focusing on the corner of her mouth. “You have some sauce right…” he trailed off as he reached out his thumb, brushing the lower portion of her cheek softly to rub it away, and she felt her breath hitch in her throat when he trailed it lightly across her lips. “There,” he finished, his voice a whisper, pulling his hand back slowly.

Unconsciously, she licked her lips, his eyes flickering down at the movement. With a small moan, he closed the remaining distance between them, pressing his lips gently against hers. She gasped at the contact, shivers traveling down her body as her mind stuttered to a stop, returning the kiss and circling her arms around his neck. His hands moved down her sides to grasp her hips, pulling her closer to him as he deepened the kiss, licking softly at her bottom lip. She allowed him access, and he immediately thrust his tongue into her mouth, and she felt as though he was trying to drink her up.

They broke apart for breath, his forehead leaning against hers, both panting softly. Her thoughts started to string together coherently again, and she flinched inwardly when she realized what she was doing. “Yoosung…” she started, her voice huskier than she’d have liked.

He shifted against her, one of his hands sliding to her low back as he answered, “yes?”

She closed her eyes, already not wanting to finish what she hadn’t even truly started. “I… I’m sorry, but we can’t… we can’t do this.” She bit her lip, fighting back tears.

He pulled back a bit, looking down at her in both hurt and confusion. “Why not?” His eyes were like an open book, emotion rolling through them like the waves of the sea when she met them.

“It’s not that I wouldn’t like to, because I… I would love to give this, to give _us,_ a chance…”

“Then _give_ us a chance,” he interrupted, grabbing her hands in his and bending down slightly to look at her. “Don’t write us off before we can try. I can be whatever you need me to be, I swear!” His voice was tinged with desperation, not wanting to lose something he had only just found.

“Yoosung, please,” she begged, stepping away and pulling her hands free, wrapping her arms around herself. She felt a few tears shake free, and she looked to the side, avoiding his hurt eyes; how could this be so damn _hard_ when they hadn’t even known each other that long? “I just… I have children. And you’re so young… I can’t… I can’t ask that of you.”

“I can do it! I can be like a father to them, MC, I really can! Just give me a chance…!” He stepped forward again, but she backed away, shaking her head.

“I’m sure you could be. No, I _know_ you could be, but I know what it’s like to become a parent too young. I _will not_ let that happen to you. You… you need to finish school without… without any distractions, you need to be successful. And I’ll just hold you back! We’ll just hold you back…” The tears were now falling unrestrained, her voice shaking as she spoke. “I can’t do this!” She turned and bolted out of the door, heading down the hallway to the front door. Shoving her feet into her shoes, she nearly managed to get to the door before there were hands on her shoulders, spinning her back around to look up into Yoosung’s tear-filled eyes.

“MC… please…”

She shook her head vehemently, the tears coming quicker now. “Th-this is for your own g-good, Yoosung. Y-you might not unders-stand now, b-but one day y-you will. I’m so-sorry.” Wrenching herself away, she yanked open the door and took off, her sobs fading into the night as she ran from him, ignoring as he called after her.

 _God, I’m so stupid!_ she mentally berated herself as she ran down the street, heading to the bus stop she had noticed earlier. _I can’t get close to them, I can’t!_

She hadn’t been lying about not wanting him to become a father at 21. She had become a parent at 19 and that was the big reason she had married John. Yoosung had a bright future ahead of him and she didn’t want her or her children to stand in the way of that.

Assuming that bringing down the RFA wouldn’t somehow ruin it for him anyway. She wasn’t entirely certain what The Disciple had meant by that, but hopefully it was something as simple as splitting the group apart.

But for now… she needed to get home. And drink. Drink a _lot._ And eat ice cream. And maybe go to bed.

Either way, she needed to get her mind off of what she _could_ have had with Yoosung, if only things were different.

 

* * *

 

 

Yoosung★: Seven.

707: Hello hello~

707: How’d things go?

707: Did u guys have fun?

Yoosung★: About that.

Yoosung★: I think I may have made things worse.

707:  **What?**

707:  **How?**

Yoosung★: …

Yoosung★: I kissed her.

707: 

Yoosung★: And now she’s not answering my calls or texts.

Yoosung★:

Yoosung★:I really messed up.

707: u were supposed to help, not make it worse

707: 

Yoosung★: MC

Yoosung★: If you see this

Yoosung★: please know that I’m sorry

Yoosung★: I’ll respect your wishes

Yoosung★:  **But I’d still like to be friends.**

 Yoosung★: Please... forgive me.

_-Yoosung★ has left the chatroom.-_

707: ... 

707: Ho boy

707: I’ve

707: got 

707: so 

707: much 

707: work 

707: to 

707: do

707: 

707: But still 

707: MC 

707: **Be safe.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, this will not become a MC x Yoosung story, I tagged it as I meant but MC is very emotional right now for obvious reasons, and you know what? Yoosung is damn adorable so. As the horribly evil writer, I must toy with emotions.


	8. Coffee and a Ride

_Seven [9:27] hey are u awake?_

_MC [9:30] guess i am now, whats up?_

_Seven [9:30] oh sorry to wake you_

_Seven [9:31] saw u were invited to lunch with Zen and Jaehee… are u gonna go?_

_MC [9:32] i dunno?_

_Seven [9:32] you should. You and Jaehee have been getting close and it'd be good for you to socialize_

_MC [9:33] says the antisocial hacker :p_

_Seven [9:33] hey!!! T-T_

_Seven [9:33] don't be mean! T_T_

_Seven [9:34] u know I just started a new job so I'm busy_

_MC [9:36] too busy to hang out with me :(:(:(_

_Seven [9:37] too busy to hang out with anyone._

_Seven [9:38] But seriously, I think Jaehee would be happy if you went._

_MC [9:39] ...ok fine ill go_

_Seven [9:40] Success!_

_Seven [9:41] Have fun~ :)_

 

* * *

 

“Mr. Han said I should slack on this project, but I find myself rather enjoying it,” Jaehee said as she took a sip of the coffee in front of her, a few papers spread on the table that she was filling out with anything she found interesting about the place they were at. It was a small cafe a few blocks from C&R International, run by a couple who had made a name for themselves with their baked goods and creative coffee flavors, attracting the attention of the busy assistant. “He claims it's just another project inspired by Mr. Chairman’s current girlfriend, and is content to let it flounder so it'll get passed on to a different department. He's not wrong, but…” She let out a dejected sigh, watching the people busy with their afternoon shopping rush by. “I've never enjoyed my work before, but I find myself enthralled by this. Coffee is so intriguing, there's so much that goes into the whole process.”

MC let out a laugh as they saw the light in Jaehee’s eyes brighten as she considered her current project. “Jaehee, if you love it that much, then you should pursue it,” they encouraged, smiling warmly at the woman across from them. “When you find something you love like this, you need to hold tight and stand your ground.”

“Do you really think so?” she asked uncertainly, tapping a finger against the side of her cup. “Mr. Han might not approve.”

“Fuck Jumin!” The clear baritone of Zen rang out, his frustration evident in his voice. Leaning forward, he reached across the table and placed a hand on top of Jaehee’s, ignoring the red tint that appeared on her cheeks. “Sorry, but that guy… he doesn't know how lucky he is to have someone like you as his assistant. I agree with MC, you should do this. It's nice to see you _happy_ for a change.” Withdrawing his hand, he aggressively bit into the pastry he had, tongue darting out to get the bit of jelly that had caught the side of his mouth. MC couldn't help the small sigh that escaped them at the movement, their face heating when he turned sultry eyes on them and winked.

 _Heaven help me, this man is too hot and I'm going to spontaneously combust if he does that again,_ MC thought, quickly looking away.

“Thank you for your support, Zen. And you too, MC. You two make this all bearable.” Jaehee leaned back in her chair, letting her exhaustion show for the briefest of moments. “But I still have to work on a slideshow for the cat hotel, too. I don't think I can do both justice if I continue to work on them at the same time.” She pulled her glasses off, rubbing her eyes wearily.

MC frowned, their heart saddened by the burden Jumin had placed on their friend. _If only…_ An idea sprung forth in their mind, and they sat up straight, a smile on their face as they said, “I can help with the cat hotel project!” at the same time as Zen proclaimed “I bet Seven could write the cat one for you.” Both froze, giving each other shocked looks before bursting into laughter, Jaehee watching on with a wry smile.

“Thank you for the offer, but I really should do it myself. It’s only right…” Jaehee spoke when the laughter died down, gathering up her papers and placing them into a folder. “I don’t think Mr. Han would be very pleased to find out that I delegated the task to someone outside of the company, even if that person is a member of the RFA.” The folder was slid into a slim briefcase, and she finished off the sandwich she had for lunch. “Regardless, it is time for me to get back to work. Thank you for coming out to lunch with me! I really enjoyed the company,” she said, face lighting up with a sunny smile. MC couldn’t help but return the smile - and they noticed Zen was in the same boat - seeing as Jaehee was absolutely radiant when she was happy.

“Think about it, Jaehee! Maybe Seven and I can work together and make one, then you can look at it and decide to use none, some or all of it! I can at least tone down anything outrageous he says, but the man _is_ a genius; I'm sure he could do a good job.” MC waved as she left, smiling and shaking her head at the two left behind. Turning to Zen, they laughed before saying “although it would be quite interesting to see what craziness Seven might think is a ‘necessity’ for cats.”

Zen chuckled, finishing the last of his coffee. “Yeah, I wonder what goes through that guy’s head half the time.” He glanced at the watch on his wrist before looking back up at MC. “You don't have to work for a few hours yet, right, babe? Wanna go for a ride?”

MC knew Zen was referring to a ride on his motorbike, and they toyed with the necklace hanging around their neck. It was a tempting offer, and they had always been fascinated by the idea of going for a ride on a motorbike. Add on that it was with _Zen_ and it became instantly more desirable, but… “Are you really sure you should be riding so soon after taking off your cast?”

Zen had broken his ankle less than a week prior, having pushed himself too hard during practice. MC didn’t know how it was possible, but the man seemed to have already fully recovered from the injury. His cast was off and he was walking with his customary swagger; honestly, if MC hadn’t known any better, they would not have known anything had happened to him.

So understandably they were a little hesitant about the thought of him riding his bike so soon. Jaehee had agreed, but Zen brushed aside their concerns with a disarming smile and his usual gentlemanly charm.

He waved a hand dismissively, smirking at MC with a twinkle in his eye. “Like I said before, it’s fine. My ankle is completely healed. But if you’re not up for going on a ride through the beautiful countryside with me, then I suppose I’ll have to deal without having such an attractive person beside me.” He winked at them, and MC felt their face flush slightly at the compliment.

“No, no,” they said, waving their hands frantically as they backpedaled, causing Zen to laugh under his breath. “I’ll join you. But you know…” they trailed off, hesitating a moment before plunging into what was bothering them. “I’ve never actually _ridden_ one of those things before. Like, ever.”

Zen’s eyes widened at the confession and he all but jumped out of his chair, reaching a hand out to a very surprised MC to help them to their feet. “Then let’s not delay this a moment longer!” Offering his elbow, he placed a hand on MC’s arm when they took it, steering them around the tables toward the spot he had parked.

The bike was completely black and very sleek, a perfect match for Zen. He released MC and strolled up to it, opening a hidden compartment to pull out an extra helmet and handing it to them. “Safety first,” he said as he grabbed his own, strapping it on before motioning for MC to come closer to the bike. He sat down, patting the seat behind him, and MC slid on, hesitantly wrapping their arms around his waist. “Good. Hold on tight,” he said as he started the engine, maneuvering them into the traffic with an ease belying the anxiety that MC felt.

He drove them through the city, passing places both familiar and unfamiliar to MC. They hadn’t had the true opportunity to explore the city as a whole yet, and to be honest, they hadn’t truly felt like it, either. So they took this chance to take in everything around them, noticing that they seemed to be heading toward the edge of town. Sure enough, soon Zen had taken them out of the city limits and into the country, turning onto a road that twisted up the side of a mountain. MC did their best not to look over the side of the road, knowing that their anxiety would only increase if they dared to add in their slight fear of heights to the equation. Instead they tried to focus on the beautiful scenery, the green grass and beautiful trees on the hillside as they climbed higher and higher. Eventually Zen turned onto a dirt road, taking them more toward the center of the mountain and - thankfully - away from the fearful edge.

It wasn’t long before they reached their destination, a small picnicking spot hidden away in the trees. Parking the bike, Zen helped MC dismount before beckoning for them to follow. He led them down a small path, one that looked barely trod on, until they came to a place that was obviously not used often anymore. There was a stone wall off to one side, mostly still in good shape but there were a few spots where it was starting to crumble due to abuse from the elements. He walked up to a small fence, leaning on it and smiling at MC as they approached. Their jaw dropped at the sight before them: there was a large gap in the mountain opening up to a beautiful view of the city, far away from the noise and hustle and bustle.

“Holy cats…” they whispered in awe, eyes wide as they drank in the sight. “This is _breathtaking,_ Zen!” Zen made a noise of agreement and for a while the two just stood there, side-by-side, watching the city below. MC tried to guess what certain buildings were, only managing to get about half correct according to an amused Zen. The easiest one to identify was C &R International, the tall building towering over all nearby. They wondered out loud what Jaehee would be doing right now.

“I’m sure that guy Jumin has her working too hard, as usual,” Zen said bitterly, shaking his head. MC nodded silently in agreement, letting out a sigh as they thought about how much work Jaehee always had. She was always busy, even when not at the office.

MC pulled out their phone quickly, opening up the RFA chatroom. At Zen’s inquisitive glance, they gave him a smile. “I’m gonna see if Seven is logged in. Should probably ask about the cat project.”

Zen raised an eyebrow, turning to angle his body more toward them, one arm still on the fence beside them. “I thought you two were so close that you talked a lot outside of the chat room?” he asked, watching MC closely, reaching a hand back to check his hair tie.

MC shrugged, waiting for the app to load; it was being a little slow out here, most likely due to less service than normal. “Yeah, we usually do, but he’s been really busy lately. Guess he took on a new job or something. And something about Miss Vanderwood’s presence making it so he can’t talk? I dunno, but if he’s on then he’s free enough that I can call, and if not, well, I can just let him know to call me when he gets a chance. Easy enough.” Frowning, they closed the app and restarted it, hoping to solve the issue.

“Well, you could just ask him over the chat?” Zen remarked, pulling out his phone as well. “Problem solved.” MC glanced over when he started typing, noting with some frustration that his app was loading normally. “He’s on, by the way.”

Letting out a frustrated noise, MC shook their phone rather violently. “Work, you piece of shit!” they said, debating the merits of throwing it out of anger when Zen laid a calming hand on their arm. Smiling at them, he simply handed them his phone, motioning for them to use it since theirs wasn’t working. They thanked him before looking down at the app.

 

> 707: I’m so
> 
> 707: **TIRED**
> 
> 707: I need to sleep
> 
> 707:
> 
> Zen: then go to sleep you turd
> 
> Zen: its not that hard lolol
> 
> 707: I can’t.
> 
> 707:
> 
> 707: Miss Vanderwood won’t let me.
> 
> Zen: geez
> 
> Zen: your maid is a slave driver lol
> 
> Zen: maybe i should come over and sing you a lullaby
> 
> Zen: rub your head
> 
> Zen: put you to bed 
> 
> Zen: 
> 
> 707: **ZEN!?**
> 
> 707:
> 
> 707: I didn’t know u felt that way about me lol
> 
> Zen: oh ya im madly in love with u lolol
> 
> 707: Oh well then
> 
> 707: I’m sorry to tell you this but…
> 
> 707: **I’m already taken. <3**
> 
> Zen: oh?
> 
> Zen: whos the lucky person?
> 
> 707: My imaginary girlfriend, 606, living in the world of binary numbers
> 
> Zen: 110-000-110 & 111-000-111
> 
> 707: Wow.
> 
> 707: I just imagined something amazing.
> 
> 707: Maybe I'm already sleeping…?
> 
> Zen: or maybe im just that good lol
> 
> 707: Hmm.
> 
> 707: Is this MC, using Zen’s phone?
> 
> Zen: well im not saying it is
> 
> Zen: but im not saying it isn't either
> 
> Zen: 
> 
> 707:
> 
> 707: Why are you using his?
> 
> 707: Did something happen to yours?
> 
> 707: Are you okay?
> 
> 707: ????
> 
> Zen: calm down seven im fine
> 
> Zen: my app doesn't wanna open out here is all
> 
> Zen: so he let me borrow his
> 
> 707: Oh.
> 
> 707: Okay.
> 
> 707: If it keeps acting up
> 
> 707: let me know.
> 
> 707: **I’ll fix it for u.**
> 
> Zen: awesome
> 
> Zen: hey do u have a moment to talk?
> 
> 707: lol
> 
> 707: Isn’t that what we’re doing now? Lololol
> 
> Zen: -_-
> 
> Zen: **I meant on the phone.**
> 
> 707: Miss Vanderwood will be back soon
> 
> 707: I shouldn’t risk it.
> 
> 707: Did you need something?
> 
> Zen: ya, but can’t talk about it on here
> 
> 707: Ok
> 
> 707: I can call you later when I get a chance.
> 
> 707: But I should go now.
> 
> 707: **I hear her coming.**
> 
> Zen: lolol
> 
> Zen: go then, brat
> 
> 707: 
> 
> 707: You wound me!
> 
> _-707 has left the chatroom.-_

 

“Thank you,” MC said as they handed the phone back to Zen, smiling at him. “He said he’ll call me later, so I’ll talk to him then.”

Zen took the phone back, slipping it into the pocket of his black jacket. “Why didn't you just ask him over chat?” he asked, turning back to gaze down at the city.

MC joined him, dragging a couple of fingers across their forehead and letting out a sigh. “ I don't want to talk about it where Jumin could potentially see it,” they said, tapping their fingers on the fence rhythmically. “It'll backfire if we got Jaehee in trouble.”

“Ah, that makes sense,” he agreed, and for a while there was silence between them. MC stared at the city, wondering how the kids were and what they were doing. Were they being treated well? They acted like it whenever they met up, but it was hard to say. They could just be brainwashed. That particular thought sent a shiver through MC, fear clamping down on their heart. _No, I can't think like this._

It was Zen who broke the silence, a quiet cough preceding what he had to say. “So, about Yoosung…”

MC stiffened, their brain whirring into defensive mode. It had been a few day since the kiss, and they had talked to Yoosung after his apology and came to an understanding that the only relationship that they could have was friendship. It had been more than a little awkward, but the two had muddled through it and agreed to hang out again to play games, since Yoosung was thrilled to have a friend to play with and MC needed a way to blow off steam. On the actual night, MC had went straight home and drank themselves into a stupor, falling asleep in the most uncomfortable position on the couch, only to wake up and find their ice cream had melted and leaked over the coffee table.

Still probably better than the alternative.

“Yeeeeeesssss?” MC asked cautiously, not looking over at Zen. They really weren’t sure what to expect from such a conversation.

“Do you like him?” As usual. Zen was straight to the point, and MC was aware of the fact that he had shifted his position to be watching them carefully for the answer.

How frustrating. MC rubbed their temples, not bothering to hide their annoyance. “Yoosung is a friend,” they answered evasively, still not looking at him.

“Just a friend?”

“Oh for fuck’s sake, Zen. _Yes,_ just a friend,” they burst out, swinging their eyes over to glare at him. “The kiss was an accident and we already talked about it. We're just. Friends.”

He visibly flinched at the irritation in their tone and held up his hands in peace, a placating smile on his face. “Alright, sorry, just curious. Didn't mean to make you mad or anything.”

The anger dissipated as quickly as it had come, it’s place quickly filled up with guilt instead. “Ack, I’m so sorry, Zen,” MC muttered, covering their face with their hands in shame. “I… it’s been a long week and I’m just shot. I shouldn’t’ve taken it out on you. God, I’m such a terrible person.” MC couldn’t really say that the week had gotten any better since T’s birthday and the kiss with Yoosung, just that they had become more numb. The revelation of having feelings for a member of the RFA had shook them to their core and caused them to attempt to withdraw from everyone. They felt the day of armageddon was quickly approaching and they were far too attached to the members to be able to pull out of it and be okay.

Especially Seven.

Especially Seven, who kept _pushing_ them to interact with the others more since he was busy.

And MC had found out quickly that they couldn't tell him no.

MC felt hands grasp their wrists and let their hands be maneuvered away from their face to see Zen leaning down in front of them, concern and confusion written across his features. “You are _not_ a terrible person, babe," he said gently, looking directly into their eyes. “Stress can make any of us say things we regret. And it could've been worse; you could've insulted my looks!” He said the last part jokingly with a tentative smile on his face, as though waiting to see if his attempt at humor would take. It morphed into a genuine one when MC chuckled, reaching a hand up to wipe away tears that had just began to crest.

“I could never do that, you're too handsome~” MC replied, choosing to try to follow suit and lighten the mood. Zen laughed, pretending to preen at their words and smiling dazzlingly at them. MC felt their cheeks heat at the action, shaking their head in amusement. “But no… no romance with Yoosung. Or anyone for that matter. Don't have it in me right now.”

It wasn’t a _complete_ lie. They hadn’t been separated from their ex-husband long and the experience with him had left them rather bitter and jaded about the prospect of love. Beyond that, even _if_ they fell for someone in the RFA, it was pointless to pursue it - it would make their eventual betrayal all the worse. In a different situation, maybe… but then again, even if they were living on their own with their children by their side and not in danger, they probably wouldn’t have the time required to date.

“Yeah, you’ve certainly got your plate full,” Zen commented, crossing his arms and staring over their shoulder. “I wish I could help you get your kids back,” he said quietly, an unexplained sorrow on his face.

MC hesitated; did they really want to go down this route? It was a touchy subject for obvious reasons and the last thing they needed to do was make any sort of slip-up that could get them or their children hurt.

Before they had a chance to formulate a response, Zen continued, looking back at them with a warm smile. “I have no doubt you’re a great parent. They should be with you.”

Warmth blossomed in MC’s chest as they gawked at Zen. How could he have confidence in them when he’d never seen them parent? It was… not something they were used to hearing. “Thank you,” they said quietly, voice wavering slightly. “I don’t… I don’t know that I’m really that good at it, parenting, I mean, but uh. I try. Hard. I just wanna do right by them, y’know? I want them to be happy.”

“That puts you way ahead of some parents,” he replied, a bitterness crossing his face. “Not all of them care about their children's’ happiness.”

The way he said it made MC peer closer at him, curious as to where this was coming from. They vaguely remembered hearing somewhere that he had ran away in middle school, so perhaps it was a personal experience? How sad it was to not have supportive parents. MC knew _exactly_ how that felt.

“Tell me about them,” he said suddenly, looking hopefully at them. “I’m curious what your children are like.”

Their eyebrows shot up at the question, not having expected it in the slightest. MC regarded Zen blankly for a moment, chewing on their lip, before deciding it wouldn’t hurt to disclose some aspects of their personalities.

“My son is five. He’s… he’s a real handful at times. He’s got this gorgeous blonde hair and big brown eyes, and a smile that can light up the room. He’s loud and full of joy, and so so smart. If you ever meet him, ask him anything about the solar system; he can probably tell you more than you want to know.” They found themselves smiling as they pictured their son, proudly listing off all of the planets at age four. “But on the flip side, he can be very volatile. And he has fairly bad anxiety. His meltdowns are the worst, worse than any I can remember having - but that just may be an age thing. Or maybe a boy thing. I don’t know. But even with all of that, I love him. He’s just so wonderful.”

Zen had a large grin on his face as he motioned for them to continue. It seemed as though he was honestly enjoying finding out more, something MC never would have expected from him.

“Then there’s my daughter. She’ll be turning two in a few months. Super sweet little thing, loves to laugh and hug and kiss and also to play with trucks and babies, sometimes both at the same time. She’s always trying to take care of those around her. Loves her brother so much, and will follow him to the end of the earth, if he allows her to. _Never_ stops talking at home, but clams up around anyone unfamiliar. Very, very shy. Her hair is a dark auburn color that seems to glow in the sunlight, and vivid blue eyes that light up when she’s happy. Of course, she’s already started in the lovely terrible two’s phase, so she also has the attitude of a teenager at times.” They felt their eyes welling up with tears, and let out a little sniff as they remembered taking both kids to play at a park shortly before they ran for their lives. It had been a sunny day and the kids had been laughing and so very happy.

Now they only get to see them weekly.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Zen said soothingly when the tears started to fall. He reached out to hug them before freezing with his arms just short of touching them, suddenly unsure what to do. MC closed the distance by wrapping their arms around him and laying their head on his chest, doing their best to not start sobbing. Feeling his arms engulf them, they tried to steady their breathing and calm themselves down.

“I miss them so much, Zen,” they said weakly, biting their lip as first one tear, then two, then dozens more finally slipped down their cheeks. “I don’t know how much more of this separation I can take.” And it was true, it was really wearing thin on them. For the first time in five years, they were completely child-free and they _hated_ it.

“Then let’s figure out a way to get you set up,” he said softly, rubbing her back consolingly. “Let’s get things figured out. All of us can help, you won’t have to be alone. Even _Jumin_ can probably help.” Disgust dripped from his tone when he said Jumin’s name, causing MC to chuckle despite their mood.

“Why do you hate him so much?” they mumbled into his chest, curiosity winning out over comfort. They felt Zen tense at the question, his hand stilling momentarily before continuing to rub circles into their back.

“That’s… well. I just… don’t care for people who can throw money around like him,” he answered slowly, but it was obvious the answer wasn’t complete. MC stayed silent, hoping he would add more without having to be prompted. Luckily, he did. “I… When I was little I never knew I was good looking. My parents always told me I looked ugly. They’re both really conservative teachers and they were doing what they thought was best, but the words really hurt. I thought that way for many years until my brother told me the truth. He told me that the attention I was getting wasn’t something bad, but something to be proud of. I thought he knew me so well, better than my parents.”

“Eventually I found out how happy I am when I sing and I expected him to support me… but I was wrong. I was the ‘troubled kid’ while he was the perfect student. My parents started to treat us differently… and one day he started talking like them. Telling me that I needed to focus on my studies more to get into a good college and that my passion was just a hobby. I felt so betrayed… and then he called me stupid. I… I could handle it from my parents but not him. So… I ran away.”

MC pulled back to look up at the man before them, eyes wide with shock. “Oh my god, Zen, that’s horrible. I’m so, so sorry you had to go through that.”

He shrugged, averting his eyes from theirs. “It’s in the past. It’s what brought me, anyway, and led me to meet Rika.” A small smile appeared on his lips at the thought. “Rika was a fan… and she wanted to help me. She actually introduced me to Jumin in hopes that he’d sponsor me… but I turned it down because I didn’t want to be swayed by money… but also because he reminded me of my brother.”

MC blinked; oh, _oh._ That made _so_ much sense. “And that’s why you don’t like him,” they stated, suddenly understanding the animosity between the two. Zen didn’t like Jumin because he was similar to his brother, and Jumin was reacting to that dislike. Huh. _Maybe I can fix that?_ they thought idly before realizing it, shaking their head quickly in horror to try to dislodge the thought. No, no, NO. There was no way they were going to fall _deeper_ into this rabbit hole.

“Well, I think you’ve succeeded in proving that you don’t need to depend on people like that,” they said slowly, picking their words carefully. “I mean, you’ve got both the talent and the looks to go far, and your career seems to be doing well, so that’s good.”

His face lit up and he beamed down at them, eyes full of happiness. “You think so? I mean, we all know I’m gorgeous~ but it’s nice to hear that I’m not just a pretty face.”

Laughing, MC nodded. “Yes, you’re both gorgeous _and_ a fantastic actor. I really need to borrow more DVDs from Jaehee.” Zen’s smile grew larger at the comment, and he gave them another squeeze before releasing them completely and stepping back.

MC pulled out their phone and glanced at the time, sad to see their free moments winding down. “So… I need to get home in order to change and get to work… wanna give me a lift?”

“Of course, your highness~” Zen flirted, giving them a small bow before leading them back to the bike. “Thanks for coming up here with me. And for telling me about your kids… and then listening to me ramble a bit.” His cheeks had the slightest bit of red as he spoke the last part, and MC laid a hand on his arm.

“Anytime, Zen,” they said kindly. “We’ll have to do this again sometime.”

But deep down inside, they wondered: _would that sometime ever come?_


	9. The Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of the end???  
> MC has a nightmare and Unknown makes another appearance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the feedback I've been receiving recently! I adore it, whether it's positive or concrit, it helps me to know what I need to work on. So thanks for everything~

_ It was cold and dark and the smell of blood was rank. She groaned, rolling over in confusion only to fall off the uncomfortably firm bed onto the ground, dirt puffing up around her. Fear lanced through her as she realized where she was and she jumped to her feet, breathing heavily as she tried to look around in the pitch black cell.  _

_ ‘Don't panic,’ she told herself, trying to tamp down the anxiety rising within her. She needed to figure out why she was here again. _

_ She groped around her blindly to try to find a wall and shook in despair when her hands came across the iron bars. Pulling herself up to them, she laid her forehead on the cool metal and let out a loud sob that echoed down the corridor, already feeling defeated.  _

_ “God damn it!” she shouted, kicking against the bars in anger, not caring about the pain that bloomed in her toes - she wasn't wearing any shoes.  _

_ Then she heard a noise that gave her pause: the squeaking of unoiled hinges. _

_ Holding her breath, she felt her way across the cell, letting out a loud exhale when she grasped the door - and it opened.  _

_ She stepped outside, straining to try to remember which way The Disciple had always approached her from. Chewing on her lip, she turned right, arms out to her sides so that her fingers grazed the walls to keep her on what she hoped was the right path.  _

_ ‘10 steps, 20 steps, 50 steps,’ she counted to herself as she walked, not sure what she'd do with the information but deciding to store it away, just in case. When her left hand no longer touched the wall, she turned and felt at the opening, finding stairs leading upward. She dithered momentarily before deciding to try, climbing them slowly and carefully.  _

_ The more she walked, the more the toes on her right foot ached. She really shouldn't have kicked the iron bars; the increasing pain and inability to move them made her wonder if she had broken them. ‘Fan-fucking-tastic,’ she mocked herself as she made her way up the stairs. ‘Great fucking job, idiot.’ _

_ She hesitated when she saw a slip of light from what could only be the bottom of a door, slowing down to try to be quieter. She flattened herself against the side of the stairwell, reaching out and grabbing the knob, twisting it as slowly and silently as possible. Thankfully it opened without a sound, and she let go, slowly pushing the door open with her undamaged foot. When it was about halfway open, she moved to peek out into the room. _

_ She immediately flattened herself back against the wall, eyes wide and on the verge of an anxiety attack, hoping she hadn't just fucked herself over. The room was filled with people, The Disciple at the front with a faceless woman she could only assume was The Savior. Tears started to stream down her face as her mind rushed with ways to defend herself, knowing that there was no way she could take on a room full of people. _

_ What felt like an hour passed without anyone approaching the open door, and she started to calm down. Maybe they hadn't seen her. She decided to try to look again, this time going slower and much more carefully. When she peeked around, she noticed none of them had moved. ‘Strange,’ she thought, squinting and wishing she had a way to get a closer look. _

_ Then she realized it was completely silent. She focused on a random person closer to her, watching them to see what was going on.  _

_ They didn't move at all. Didn't blink, didn't fidget, didn't even breathe.  _

_ If she was spooked before, she was positively frightened now. _

_ Still, she had to move forward. She drew in a huge breath before stepping out into the open, eyes flitting around the room for any signs of movement.  _

_ Nothing. _

_ She walked over to the same man she had observed just prior - also faceless - and waved a hand in front of his face. No reaction. She haltingly reached out to take his pulse - also nothing. Odd. _

_ So the people in here were not alive? Deciding to explore further, she walked up to The Disciple, standing directly in front of him and peering at him closely.  _

_ He was just as she remembered; bleached hair with the pink tips and hints of red hair at the roots; aquamarine eyes that would be beautiful if they didn't house such coldness; the customary sneer gracing his lips; the black leather jacket hanging off of his right shoulder to reveal that creepy eye tattoo on his arm.  _

_ And yet… there was something strangely familiar about him. More than just as the man who had imprisoned her. Something… something that gave her a distinct sense of unease, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.  _

_ Shaking her head, she stepped back, deciding to move on. There was only one other door in the room, so she walked over to it, hoping to leave this unsettling place. _

_ Placing her hand on the knob she took a breath and pushed it open, stepping through… _

_...into the restaurant she worked at?  _

_ Blinking in confusion, she looked around at the familiar kitchen, the cooks busy with lunch rush and the other servers pushing past her. She glanced down to see that she was now wearing her uniform, except that she was not wearing her binder or wig.  _

_ “Hey, MC!” called her boss through the doors that led out to the bar. “There's some guy out here askin’ for you. Make it snappy.” _

_ Rubbing her forehead, she pursed her lips and pushed open the double doors, her heart thudding to a stop when she saw who it was. _

_ John was standing at the bar, a sick smile on his face as he threw back of shot of most likely vodka. “Hey babe,” he said as he sauntered over to her, reaching out to pull her into a hug. “Took a while this time, but I finally found ya.” _

_ She was frozen in fear, her eyes darting desperately around the restaurant to try to find someone to help her. Next to no knew about him because she liked to keep her private life just that, but then her eyes landed on a head of familiar red hair. _

_ “Seven!” she cried out, her voice broken as John squeezed her tight. “Help me,” she begged when the golden eyes moved over to her.  _

_ “Be quiet or you'll pay later,” John growled into her ear, pulling out of the hug to wrap his hand around her upper arm so tightly that it would bruise. “You're going to come back home with me.” _

_ He started to drag her along and she reached out toward Seven, eyes pleading as new tears streamed down her face. “Please don't let him hurt me.” _

_ A snarl overtook his face and she recoiled, not having expected to ever see him look at her like that. There was so much hatred written there. “What, stop him from hurting you like you hurt us?” The normally cheerful baritone was deeper than usual and serious, and she could hear the anger rolling underneath the words. “No. You had this coming when you decided to destroy the RFA.” _

_ “Please understand, I didn't want to!” she said desperately, her voice shaking. “But my kids…” _

_ “You realize you got them all killed, right?” Seven interrupted her, standing up and approaching them. To her surprise, John stopped and let go of her, but the relief was short-lived as Seven’s hands fell upon her shoulders to shake her roughly. “Jumin. Yoosung. Jaehee. Zen. They're all  _ dead _ because of you. I'm the only one left.” _

_ Her eyes widened as what he was saying hit her, and she stumbled a bit at the shock. “N-no, that's n-not possible,” she stammered, mind reeling. _

_ His hands tightened on her and she cried out in pain as his nails dug into her back. “It's your fault. You deserve whatever he does to you.” The coldness in his voice was horrible and she felt her heart break from it. “Get her out of my sight,” he muttered, thrusting her back into John’s chest. _

_ “My pleasure,” John replied, latching back onto her again and resuming dragging her to the door. _

_ “NO!” she screamed, clawing at the hand on her arm to try to get it off. “NO! SEVEN! DON’T DO THIS! PLEASE! I’M SO SORRY! NO!” _

“NO! I’M SO SORRY! Please don't let him take me…” She awoke to a drenched face, her hands clutched so tightly that there were nail marks running along her palm. Sitting up, she placed her head into her hands and cried, the sobs wracking her body. 

What a horrible nightmare. It had to be because of the guilt, the guilt eating her up inside.  _ But no one's going to die, right? The Disciple didn't say anything about anyone dying…. _

Running a hand shakily through her hair, she let the tears fall unhindered as she recalled the last part of her dream. Seven would never do that… would he? He'd never abandon her to her abuser, would he?

_ No, no, he couldn't do that to me,  _ she tried to convince herself, reaching out to grab her phone.  _ I need to get my mind off of this. _

She unlocked the screen, opening the RFA app without a second thought. Seven and Yoosung were on, arguing about LOLOL.

 

  


>   
>  Yoosung★: **I don't believe you.**
> 
> Yoosung★: You've never even talked about playing LOLOL until now.
> 
> 707: T_T
> 
> 707: I'm hurt.
> 
> 707: But it's true!
> 
> 707:  **Ask him.**
> 
> MC: Ask who what?
> 
> 707: MC!!!
> 
> 707: You're here~
> 
> Yoosung★: hiya!
> 
> MC: hiya 
> 
> Yoosung★: Seven claims he's better than my guild master. 
> 
> Yoosung★: 
> 
> 707: lololol
> 
> 707: We once battled on the field
> 
> 707: and I kind of went to his base
> 
> 707: and  **blew everything up.**
> 
> 707: He formed a guild afterwards. 
> 
> MC: wow, you must be really good then
> 
> 707: Just know that 
> 
> 707: no one can
> 
> 707: ever beat me. lol
> 
> Yoosung★: I'll beat you!
> 
> 707: Oh!
> 
> 707: A challenger appears!
> 
> 707:  **Anyway**
> 
> 707: why are you up so late, MC?
> 
> MC: oh
> 
> MC: i had a nightmare:(
> 
> MC: so i needed a distraction 
> 
> 707: A distraction!
> 
> 707: My specialty!
> 
> 707: My house is so clean right now
> 
> 707: My maid just left.
> 
> MC: your maid works weird hours ^^;;
> 
> Yoosung★: Yeah
> 
> Yoosung★: Don't maids usually go home during the day?
> 
> 707: Apparently it was really bad this time.
> 
> 707: 
> 
> 707: 
> 
> 707: Ta-da!
> 
> 707: Mary Vanderwood the 3rd.
> 
> 707: lololol
> 
> 707: She's pretty, right?
> 
> 707: She's cute, right?
> 
> 707: She's so adorable, right?
> 
> 707: 
> 
> Yoosung★: ;;;;
> 
> Yoosung★: Um…
> 
> MC: oh,im swooning
> 
> MC:  **a man after my own heart**
> 
> Yoosung★:
> 
> 707:  **A man?**
> 
> MC: you sure do make a beautiful woman ;)
> 
> 707: Oh haha
> 
> 707: haha
> 
> Yoosung★: -_-
> 
> Yoosung★: On that note….
> 
> Yoosung★: I think I'm gonna go to bed.
> 
> MC: bye yoosung~ sweet dreams!
> 
> Yoosung★: You too! ^^
> 
> _ -Yoosung★ has left the chatroom.- _
> 
> 707: T_T
> 
> 707: He didn't let me say goodbye!
> 
> MC: lolol
> 
> MC: probs still annoyed lolol
> 
> 707: lololol ur right
> 
> 707: I should go too. 
> 
> 707: Need to get back to work.
> 
> 707: 
> 
> 707: I'm a slave.
> 
> MC: ahhh I hope you finish soon seven
> 
> 707:  **Me too.**
> 
> 707: Let's work on project feline vacation tomorrow ^^
> 
> 707: Sleep well~
> 
> _ -707 has left the chat room.- _

 

MC was just about to log out and close the app when a familiar username popped up, causing her blood to turn to ice.

 

  


>   
>  Unknown: ime_has#($come  
> 
> 
> Unknown: @the09~+t
> 
> Unknown: …
> 
> Unknown: %#get^@!ready_
> 
> Unknown: .
> 
> Unknown: -------##
> 
> Unknown: I am
> 
> Unknown: going to
> 
> Unknown:  corrupt you


	10. The Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MC is a wreck, understandably, after what happened in the last chapter. Now she has to make a decision: to go forth or ask for help?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone missed it, I added a chapter and moved it back to be #4. It's the scene where after MC moves, he takes Seven out to lunch with the kids. :)

She was tired. Beyond exhausted. After the message that had been left for her in the chat room she had been unable to relax enough to go back to sleep, her anxiety skyrocketing through the roof. She spent most of the wee morning hours pacing back and forth through the apartment, variating between vehement anger and extreme sadness. It was now around lunchtime and her stomach was grumbling for food but she had no desire to give it any; not only did nothing sound good, there was a distinct feeling of nausea that let her know it probably wouldn’t be received well if she did try to eat.

Keeping his word, Seven called shortly after she would have normally been waking up, full of eager ideas for the cat hotel. She couldn’t force herself to focus on what he was saying, her mind too busy breaking down what had been said in the chat room over and over, not to mention reliving what she had gone through initially at The Mint Eye.

Seven had already addressed the topic in an earlier chat and he seemed like he was both spouting off ideas for the project as well as hacking. Under normal circumstances, she would likely have been impressed with his ability to multitask such things, but she could barely bring herself to acknowledge it correctly.

She had made a drastic mistake. She had allowed herself to get close to the members of the RFA and to become friends with them. She knew what Yoosung’s major was and that he needed guidance to continue on that path. She knew Zen needed to forgive his family and reach out to them, and to try to see Jumin as a separate person from his brother. She knew Jaehee worked too hard on things she didn't enjoy and needed to stand her ground on the coffee project. She knew Jumin needed to open up.

Yet the one she knew the least about was the one she was scared of losing the most. Seven’s voice was normally soothing to her, able to ground her even if he chose to speak gibberish. But today it was only exasperating the feeling of panic rising within her. She still remembered her nightmare in vivid detail; she could still picture the hatred on his face when he looked at her. Would she face that in real life? When she betrayed them?

There was no doubt in her mind that she had to do whatever necessary to keep her children safe - the mama bear in her made sure of that. What she wasn’t sure about was if she could live with herself if she ruined her friends’ lives.

“So~ I was thinking that having a gas station would help increase profits. It would also be awesome if it was close to me so that I don’t have to drive so far to fill up my babes. Don’t you agree?”

“Hmm? Yeah, that’s a great idea,” MC answered, barely aware that he had even asked her a question.

“Oh, really? Well, then maybe you’ll like this idea!” She heard his voice spike in the way that usually meant he was about to start teasing, but was too deep in her own mind to react to it. _What am I going to do? What the hell am I going to do?_ It was basically her new mantra, repeating over and over again in her head like a broken record-player.

“I think~ we should~ include a dog park~ so the cats and dogs can play together. And maybe add in some cat defense classes and oooh! An alcohol bar with a pool. The cats would love that!”

“Great ideas, cats love water and dogs,” MC murmured in agreement, not even comprehending what she said. She was currently in the process of eyeing up the new box of ice cream in her freezer, wondering if it would stay down if she decided to eat it.

The typing sounds on the other side of the line stopped and she heard Seven let out a large sigh. “Alright, what’s up? You haven’t been paying attention at all to this. Is something wrong? Are you still worried about the hacker?”

Bingo. _Way to hit the nail on the head right away,_ she thought, shutting the door to the freezer and meandering aimlessly into the hallway. “I guess you could say that,” she answered hesitantly, pausing to lean back against the wall and rubbing a few fingers across her forehead. “I just… It doesn’t sit well with me.”

“It’s a little alarming, sure, but you don’t need to worry about it. I’m taking care of it.” He sounded confident, his typing resuming. “God Seven-Oh-Seven is on the case! No one can beat me!”

She felt her lip tremble at his declaration, wishing she could share in his confidence. But the fact of the matter was that no matter how hard he tried, no matter how much he _cared_ he would never be able to save her. She shook her head, trying to hold back the tears that were quickly forming. Crying would not help.

Her silence was met with a sigh before he continued speaking, still trying to comfort her. “You’re scared, right?” Stupidly, she nodded, knowing he couldn’t see her. But she didn’t trust her voice just then, afraid that by opening her mouth she’d lose the tenuous control over herself that she currently had. “I thought so. Don’t be. It’s extremely unlikely this has anything to do with you, and besides, I’m here to protect you. Da-da-da-da! The Defender of Justice is watching over you, so don’t fear! I will make sure no harm comes to you or those cute little kiddos of yours~”

That was too much. She burst into tears, powerful sobs wracking her body, sending Seven into a tailspin on the other side of the phone. She slid down the wall to land on the floor as he tried to console her, gently asking her what was wrong but unable to completely conceal the panic laced in his voice. She didn't bother answering, not knowing what she'd say anyway. She tossed the phone carelessly onto the floor, not hanging up but not knowing the point of holding it when she couldn’t even speak to him. She could barely hear him yelling through it before he fell silent, and she noticed the phone call had disconnected. Letting out a particularly loud wail, she slammed her fists on the floor and screamed, “DEFENDER OF JUSTICE, SEVEN-ZERO-SEVEN, HELP ME!” Her head fell into her hands as the sobs became stronger, choking out in between them, “help me, please…”

“Just tell me what you need me to do! I’ll help you in any way I can, please believe me.” She sat upright in alarm, looking around for the source of the familiar voice. It wasn’t her phone and it was highly unlikely that he had managed to get to her place in such a short amount of time _and_ enter without her knowing, so she was doubly confused. “I swear on my life that I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe, but you have to let me know what’s wrong.” His voice was pleading and it cracked on the last half of the sentence, a sign that he was distressed by her current state.

“How are you doing that?” she asked softly, arms wrapped around herself even as her body still shook from despair. “How are you talking to me right now?”

He gave a sigh and a nervous laugh. “Look up to your right. Up in the corner by the kitchen. See that little ball? That’s the CCTV Rika had me install. It gives me view of the kitchen, hallway and some of the living room, but that’s it- no private places. And it has the option for sound. Obviously.”

Her eyes widened at the implications of that. “So… what, you’ve been spying on me, all this time?” She felt indignation rising up within her, and she leveled her most angry glare at the camera, imagining him flinching on the other side. “That’s why everything kept happening to me at the most unlikely times. Anytime I was about to make a mistake, you _saw_ it and stopped it. Shit. I don’t know whether to be grateful, pissed or fucking creeped out about it.” The tears had stopped flowing, her sadness being replaced by anger. She stood up and faced the camera, fists clenched at her side.

“I know, I know… I should’ve told you sooner. But I never used it for spying, I swear! It’s an automatic feed here and I’d occasionally check to make sure you were okay. Yes, I interfered when I thought it was needed, but it was only out of concern for you. Please believe me. I trust you.”

She let out a humorless laugh, shaking her head. Crossing her arms, she held her chin high and sneered. “And that was your first mistake. You should never have let me join the RFA. Shouldn’t have let me become _friends_ with any of you. Hell, I shouldn’t have let _myself_ become friends with any of you. All it’s doing is tearing me apart.” The sneer dropped as the reality came flooding back in, and she closed her eyes tight against the fear and pain that threatened to rend her asunder. Covering her face with her hands, she shook her head. “I can’t do this anymore. I just _can’t.”_

“MC, _please,_  let me help you. What can I do? Is it John? Is he harassing you somehow? Just say the word and I can make him disappear.”

“I almost wish it was him. That I could deal with,” she said, harsh, barking laughter following her words. “At least I know how to handle him.”

“Then what? You can tell me anything, MC, I swear. I’m not proud of it, but I have some pretty nasty skills that can take out a lot of threats by breaking into their systems… and if funds become a problem, I know Jumin would help out in a heartbeat.”

She froze at his words as a memory played back in her mind.

 

 

> _“MC, listen to me,” V leaned forward, his voice dropping to nearly a whisper but increasing in intensity. His blue eyes bore into her own, and he grabbed her hands to hold them firmly. She flinched back slightly, not having expected the touch or the shift in the atmosphere, but did her best to hold his gaze, understanding something important was about to be said. “You know we will do anything for you, right? Anything you need done, we will do our best to make happen. And between Jumin’s resources and Seven’s skills, we can make a lot happen. Understand?”_

She let out a gasp as it hit her: _V knew all along, and was trying to help her covertly._  “Oh my god,” she whispered, one hand covering her mouth in shock. This was it. This was her chance to get out. She didn’t know how or why V knew but if it gave her the opportunity to rescue her kids _and_ escape the clutches of The Mint Eye, then she could overlook that.

All she had to do was convince Seven that she really was an unwilling participant in this plan.

Taking a few deep breaths, she tried to lower her anxiety before it led to an attack, not wanting it to interfere with what was about to happen. She glanced around the apartment suspiciously, unsure if there were any bugs placed there to keep an eye on her, so to speak. Her phone buzzed suddenly as a call from work came in, probably wanting her to pick up a shift. _Oh right, the phone_ , she thought, grabbing it quickly and turning it off. _No, not good enough._ Standing, she sprinted into her room and shoved it in a dresser underneath her underwear, shutting the drawer and letting out a long exhale. Was she really about to do this?

“Uh, MC? Are you okay?” There was concern dripping from every word, and she ran her hands through her hair as she exited her room. Glancing up at the camera, she gave a shaky smile and a thumbs up. But what if the phone wasn’t the only possible bug? How could she tell him without ruining everything?

“Oh,” she said suddenly as a thought occurred to her. Seven was a secret agent, right? So maybe he knew more than one language. Was she lucky enough for that?

Biting her lip, she took the plunge and switched over to her native tongue, the words feeling foreign and weird after not being used for so long. “Seven… Luciel… do you speak English?” _Please, please, please!_ she begged internally, staring up in the camera with hope swirling around in her chest. _Oh please let him speak it, please, God, please!_

The silence seemed to drag on forever, her heartbeat pounding in her ears as she waited for the answer. Finally there was a little crackle over the microphone, followed by a hesitant “yes?” and she let out a breath she hadn’t been aware she was holding. She clasped her hands together, digging the nail of one thumb into the pad of the other as she tried to work up her courage.

“I’m a little rusty, so bear with me if I make some mistakes… but… would you prefer to speak in English for now?” She snorted at his description of his English; it was near perfect and the accent was minimal. Far better than her own attempts at Korean, for sure. The only reason she was able to converse adequately was because of the immersion technique of learning; being forced to move here at 18 and then living among natives for six years tends to teach one a thing or two about the language.

“Yes, but just because… what I’m about to tell you is dangerous… for myself and my children, especially and I… I don’t know if the apartment is bugged? So I’m like… just really, really frightened and hopeful that if they’re _listening_ that they won’t understand what we’re saying because I can’t… I can’t let them hurt my kids, I can’t…!” _Shit, I need to control myself._ Her heart rate was spiking at the thought of what Mint Eye would do to her children if they found out about what she was about to do, and she felt her anxiety starting to increase even more.

There was a pause before he responded, his voice low and deadly, devoid of anything bright. “Who is threatening you and your kids? I will _ruin_ them.”

She let out a slightly hysterical laugh, raising her hands to bury them into her hair, pulling at it to cause pain to shoot through her head. “Oh my god, am I crazy? I can’t tell you about this, they’ll find out, and then I don’t know what they’ll do, oh god, what if they kill me? Oh god, what if they kill _them?_ ” She tugged harder, forcing a cry of pain out, tilting her head toward the ceiling and trying to breathe. There was a weight starting to form on her chest, causing panic to swell and take over her mind. “Oh god, oh god, what am I doing, why did this happen? What did I do to deserve this? HAVEN’T I SUFFERED ENOUGH?”

“MC, breathe, focus on breathing. Don’t let the anxiety win. Breathe through this, you can do it. Breathe in, out. Good, yes, keep going. In, out, in, out. Calm down, think of something happy. The happiest thing you can think of. A goal for the future. Then think of how I’m going to help you achieve that.” His tone had switched again, this time to a soothing and slightly melodic version meant to help her calm down. She listened, closing her eyes and following his instructions.

A goal for the future? She thought about what she wanted for herself, for her kids. A decent place to live, safe from John and The Mint Eye. A cat or two, maybe some other pets. A job that brought home enough money that they wouldn’t have to struggle or go without. Friends she could depend on… no, not just any friends, she wanted the _RFA._ And she wanted a partner, someone she could trust would love and take care of her kids as well, someone caring and supportive, someone she loved…

_Someone like Seven. No, she didn’t want Agent 707. She wanted Luciel Choi._

She snapped her eyes open as the thought came unbidden, mouth falling slightly open as she realized it was true. Looking up at the camera with wide eyes, she began to understand why she had clung to him so much more than any of the other members. She had wrote it off as him being the first to reach out to her and befriend her, or that they just got along so well. She had never considered how deep her feelings for him went…

But this was not the time to be thinking of that.

“What I’m about to tell you is not pretty, Luciel. And it may make you see me in a new light, but please understand that I never wanted to be a part of this. I just wanted to live a safe, happy life away from my ex… but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards for me. So just… listen, please.” And so she told him everything, from waking up in the cell to The Disciple to the months of building up a believable life on her own to her unclear mission to tear apart the RFA. She told him of her nightmare and how the hacker in the chatroom had specifically left that for her, meaning he would be asking her to complete whatever her mission was soon. She confessed her fear for her children and about the conflicted feelings she had about their happiness there. And she confessed how happy she was to be friends with everyone in the RFA and how much it hurt to think of losing them or doing anything to ruin their lives.

When she finished she had tears streaming down her face and she was no longer looking at the camera, too ashamed to even try to look at him through a lens. Her shoulders were shaking as she silently sobbed, one hand covering her mouth while the other was folded across her stomach. It felt a little better to have it all out in the open instead of rotting inside of her, but she still feared that Mint Eye would know that she had just divulged everything to their enemy and would punish her and her children for it.

When he didn’t respond, she collapsed onto the floor, burying her head into her knees and wrapping her arms around her legs, assuming the worst. _He hates me,_ she thought to herself, slamming her head back against the wall before hiding it again. _He hates me and I_ **_deserve_ ** _it. I’m a horrible person, how could I have let it get this far?_

The silence lasted for quite a while until she heard a muffled ringtone coming from her room. _Luciel’s text tone?_ she wondered, pulling herself up and bolting to it. She had turned off her phone; did he somehow turn it back on? Yanking open the drawer, she dug out the phone quickly and pulled it up to see what he had sent.

 

_Seven [13:20] Hey I’m not ignoring u, I’m on the phone with Jumin._

_Seven [13:22] Don’t worry, we’ll get everything fixed._

 

Her heart jumped at his words, and she sniffed before backing out of the text, going into her contacts to adjust his name once more. She’d already done it once when she’d decided they were friends and she wanted something more personal than 707. Now it was time to update it again.

 

_MC [13:25] im so sorry luciel_

_MC [13:26] plz dont hate me_

_Luciel [13:30] don’t apologize, and I don’t hate u_

_Luciel [13:30] Just sit tight. I’ll let u know what comes next_

  
Holding her phone to her chest, she sat down on her bed and let out a wet laugh. Maybe everything would be alright after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the final countdown...


	11. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A plan begins to unfold within the RFA.

Communication became trickier after that. Since there was no easy way for MC to search her apartment for bugs, they had to run on the assumption that there were some there. Luciel said he was fairly certain her phone was safe since she bought it herself and The Mint Eye never had possession of it, but if they had such a skilled hacker at their employ as they obviously did, he couldn't be positive. So they agreed to communicate in English via the CCTV anytime they needed to speak about the situation, but kept it a secret otherwise. She knew that Luciel was working on a plan with Jumin and that the latter had taken the rest of the day off work - much to Jaehee’s displeasure - to focus on it.

Luciel had decided that her predicament should not be revealed to the rest of the members until after she and her kids were safe, to cut down on any risk of them being found out. He didn't even want one word typed of it in the messenger. She hadn't thought it possible, but he seemed even more paranoid about their safety than she was.

As she continued to pace the apartment she found herself wishing that she was scheduled to work that night; if nothing else, it would be a good distraction. She briefly debated calling Yoosung to ask about having a video game night but ultimately thought it would be a bad idea. She'd have a hard time keeping this from him in person. The same went for Jaehee and Zen, unfortunately.

Letting out a sigh of defeat, she dropped onto the couch and grabbed her laptop, booting it up and opening her email. Luciel had said he sent her a rough draft of the cat hotel slideshow and wanted her to go through it and make any changes she felt needed to happen. Downloading the file she clicked it open and skimmed through it, doing everything within her power to focus. Surprisingly it was actually fairly good as it stood, and she was quite impressed with the quality considering how fast Luciel must have done it.

Was that what he was doing on the phone earlier…? She had assumed he had been hacking, but maybe he’d been putting it together the whole time. She smiled despite the gloomy mood she was in; he was, admittedly, quite the genius.

Biting her lip, she clicked through the slides again before opening up her RFA chat and going back a few days. She remembered having a short conversation with Jumin when he had decided he was going to pursue the project and thought maybe he had left some specifications there. As she reread their discussion, she found she was glad she did - there were a few key things Luciel had changed that would be a dead giveaway that it was made by him. Scrolling up, she selected the slide that proposed the mascot to be Longcat and changed it to Elizabeth the 3rd, searching through Jumin’s pictures to find a suitable picture of the beautiful white cat. Thankfully there were many to choose from, and she opted for one that had Elizabeth lounging on one of Jumin’s couches, her tail dangling delicately over the edge and her head perked up and staring straight at the camera; the jeweled collar he had on her that particular day was a soft violet that made her gorgeous blue eyes stand out. She changed the wording a bit to lead readers to believe she was the best option before moving on to the next thing. Luciel hadn’t directly specified what the profits would go toward, but Jumin had been very direct about saying he wanted it to go toward the protection of street and house cats. So she added that in but with a slightly different number; it might go over better if only 75% of profits were donated to charities for cats. Jumin would have to compromise.

She was just finishing her last bit of editing (the removal of a ‘special thanks to Tom’ slide - a dead giveaway to who made it) when her phone rang. Glancing over at it, she was surprised to see the man of the hour, Jumin, calling. Saving and closing the presentation somewhat guiltily, she took a deep breath before answering, “hey.”

“It's me. I thought it would be good to call.” His voice was deep and soothing in its calmness, and she felt like she could listen to it all day. “What are you doing tonight? I was considering going out to try the new restaurant near my office. It offers American cuisine so I thought it would be interesting to try. Would you be interested in joining me?”

“I-I… yeah, sure, I guess,” MC said, surprised to be receiving such an offer from him. “Where should I go?”

“Come out to the 73rd building as soon as you can. Dress nicely. I'll have a driver waiting for you. See you shortly.” He hung up without allowing her to say anything else, the line going dead while she processed what he had said.

“Yes, sir, of course, sir,” she grumbled under her breath as she set the phone down next to her laptop. She quickly opened her email and attached the presentation, sending it off to Jaehee in hopes of helping her friend, especially now what whatever work was added to her plate by Jumin leaving to help MC. Running a hand through her hair, she stood, allowing herself a moment to stretch before heading toward her room. She paused at the camera to give it a wave, wondering if Luciel was on the other end watching.

Staring into her closet, MC lamented that the only “nice” dress she owned was the very one she wore to her birthday party - but that would have to do. She pulled it out, laying it on the bed before finding the necessary undergarments and getting dressed. This time she left her hair down, foolishly hoping it would help hide her face from any onlookers or spies. After slipping into the purple shoes and jacket, she grabbed her purse and deposited anything she could need throughout the night, unsure of how long this would take. She had a feeling it was about the plans Jumin and Luciel had made, so she wanted to be sure she was ready for anything. When done, she slipped the strap over her shoulder and stepped out of the apartment, steeling herself as she headed to the designated meeting spot.

 

* * *

 

It was a limo. _Of course_ it was a limo. In hindsight, how could she have thought Jumin would send anything less? _Real discreet,_ she thought as they drove through town on a route that she vaguely recalled taking with Luciel not too long ago. Passing through the security checkpoint at C&R, she assumed they were on their way to pick up Jumin. It would make sense that he’d keep working until she arrived, since he had no real idea how long it would have taken her to get to the 73rd building. They drove through the massive parking lot up to a large garage, the doors opening slowly to admit the limo inside before closing again. The driver pulled up to the door she assumed led into the company’s main building, not surprised to see Jumin standing there. He had been on his phone, but he hung up fairly quickly upon seeing their arrival, strolling over to the car. Instead of crossing to the other side of the vehicle, he instead leaned down to open her door, giving her a brief smile before handing her a sheet of paper.

 

_Your phone may be bugged, so I would like to leave it here. Please give it to me._

 

Frowning, she pulled it out of her pocket and shut it off, handing it over reluctantly. He pulled out a plastic baggie, slipping it inside and zipping it shut before handing it to the driver. “You know what to do,” he said cryptically before turning back to her. He offered her his hand, which she carefully took and pulled herself out, watching as he closed the door and beckoned for the driver to move on.

“We will not be taking this to dinner. It is entirely possible that you may have been followed and thus we will take a less obvious means to our destination. As for your phone, when we return I will give it back. This way, please,” he said as he turned back toward the door inside, holding it open as she stepped through. She followed as he led them to an elevator, choosing the highest floor available. There was a slightly awkward silence between them as they rose with nothing but the elevator music playing, with MC chewing on her lip and twirling some hair around her finger to try to hide her nerves.

The elevator chimed when they hit the top floor, and she blinked in surprise when the doors opened to admit them to the roof of the building. Her jaw dropped as she took in the helicopter before them, its blades whirring already as though about to take off. She flinched when a hand landed on her arm, looking up to see Jumin motioning for her to follow him. He took off in the direction of the helicopter with her tailing close behind, helping her up into the cockpit before climbing in himself. Sliding the door shut, they buckled in when the pilot pulled up to fly into the air.

“ _This_ is how you intend to get to the restaurant?” she asked, eyes wide as the building’s roof shrunk beneath them. She had never ridden in a helicopter before and it was causing her anxiety to spike a little.

He chuckled, a deep, low rumble in his chest. “No. This is how I intend for us to get to my penthouse. I apologize for misleading you, but I figured that if your phone was tapped, it would be best to confirm plans that were not what I actually had in mind.” At her dubious look, he gave her another smile, although it didn’t really reach his eyes. “I assure you, my penthouse is the safest place in the city for us to discuss the issues at hand. Nothing untoward will occur; just a dinner between friends.”

She had to give him credit for his attempts to be reassuring, although it wasn’t very convincing. Giving him a tight smile, she agreed to the plan before leaning over to look out the window again, watching as the city danced beneath them. It was beautiful, everything so small and all lit up, but she felt like flying in the helicopter had painted a large bullseye on them. “I’m not sure this is more discreet than the limo,” she said under her breath, rubbing her fingers across her forehead.

It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the building his penthouse was in, and the pilot landed with relative ease, shutting off the helicopter. There was a number of security guards all standing on the roof, with one coming forward to open the door and usher Jumin and MC out. “Welcome, Mr. Han,” the young man said, backing away until both passengers had exited. He then led the two over to the stairs that led down into the penthouse with the rest of the guards close behind. Unlocking the door, he let them inside and was preparing to shut it again when Jumin stopped him.

“Do not let _anyone_ inside tonight. No exceptions.” The guard nodded, closing the door and leaving them alone.

“Welcome to my home,” Jumin said, taking off his jacket and hanging it up in the closet nearby. “May I have your coat?” He reached out a hand and she shyly slid hers off, giving it to him hesitantly. Placing hers on a hanger as well, he shut the closet and nodded toward the dining room. “Let’s order our dinner first so the chef can start preparing it immediately. He can make anything you like; do you have a preference?”

She bit her lip, wracking her frustratingly blank brain for something that sounded good. She hadn’t eaten all day and so she definitely needed _something,_ but her mind had ground to a halt the moment she needed to use it. “Ummm…” she said unhelpfully, looking to the ground in embarrassment.

“Take your time. I know you were planning on ordering from a menu and this is a sudden change. Although, if I may suggest, perhaps you might try the steak? If you like that kind of thing, it is superb here.” He led them to the living room where a large black sofa sat with a beautiful white cat on it. Elizabeth the 3rd purred at the sight of them, jumping down to walk over to Jumin and rub his legs lovingly.

“Um. Yeah, that- that sounds great, actually. I haven’t had a steak in a long time.” It was the truth; she hadn’t had one in years, possibly since before moving to Korea. Jumin had leaned down to pet his cat, but at her statement he nodded and stood up, pulling out his phone. It took next to no time to place their order, even with him having to prompt a couple of answers out of her. With a promise of having food in about 20 minutes, they made themselves comfortable on the sofa, sitting at opposite ends with Elizabeth in the middle.

“So….” she said uncertainly, staring down at her hands as she dug her fingernails into them. The pull and drag of her nails across the pad was always a pleasing sensation to her, helping her whenever she needed some sort of sensory input. It was the easiest to hide and the one she chose to indulge in most often.

It wasn’t a huge surprise that Jumin noticed.

“Does your thumb ever get sore from doing that?” he inquired curiously, watching her fingers move. She jerked up to look at him, eyes wide as she hastily slid her hands under her thighs, palms down.

“Uh...no?” she answered, having never actually considered the possibility of pain coming from the small action. If she wanted to cause herself pain, she had other methods of doing that.

“Hmm.” He looked thoughtful for a moment before angling himself to be able to speak to her more comfortably, his head slightly tilted to the side as he regarded her. “So. Quite the mess you’re in,” he said, waving a hand vaguely in the air.

She let out a small snort, feeling her face arrange itself into a mild snarl and trying to hastily put it back into a neutral position, having no interest in somehow offending Jumin accidentally. “Yeah, you could call it that.” She reached up to scratch her head, shoving her hand back under her thigh when she noticed him following the movement.

“I spoke with Luciel and I believe we have come to an… arrangement, of sorts, that will solve your predicament until we can decide how to handle the organization behind this. Luckily for us, he had some contacts from his time as a secret agent that he was able to reach and persuade - with my financial backing, of course - to perform an extraction of your children. Assuming that they are as good as he insists - and they’d better be, for how much they asked for - then it should be a simple operation and your children will be safe by tomorrow evening at the latest.” He said all this while watching her closely, his face blank and his body language neutral. It was almost like watching a robot speak about something as bland as paint drying, completely and utterly emotionless.

MC, on the other hand, nearly jumped off the couch in excitement. Barely restraining herself, she leaned forward, hands now clasped together in front of her mouth. Was it luck or fate that dictated tomorrow was her day to see the kids, making the job that much easier? And dare she hope that it goes so flawlessly? “What do you need me to do?” she asked, hating how her voice shook with restrained joy. She couldn’t get ahead of herself, not when so much could go wrong.

Jumin cleared his throat, switching his position so that he had one leg crossed over the other. “While it isn’t needed, it may be helpful to have a picture of the person - or people, if that is the case - who escorts your children to the cafe. Luciel already supplied the team with pictures of your children.” He ran a hand over Elizabeth’s head and down her neck, a genuine smile crossing his face when she started to purr and moved onto his lap.

Furrowing her brows, MC thought about if she had a picture of the man or not. “If Luciel goes on my Fakebook account,” she started slowly, having a vague recollection of a selfie with the kids that he got captured in and wondering if she kept it, “there may be one on there. It was a selfie with both kids and he was in the background. I don’t know if I uploaded it or not though, and obviously can’t look right now.” She placed her chin on top of her hands, pursing her mouth to the side as she tried to remember.

Whipping out his phone, Jumin’s fingers tapped the screen at a fast pace as he relayed the message to Luciel. When finished, he sat it down next to him, continuing petting Elizabeth. “I’m sure you’re curious _where_ your children will be taken, since Rika’s, from what I understand, is not quite large enough to house a family of three.” She nodded; the thought had crossed her mind but her idea tank had been empty. Where would they go? He let out a sigh, and she gazed at him curiously as something resembling annoyance crossed his face. “After some discussion, it was decided that it would be best if they, and you, were to temporarily live here until such a time when it would safe for you to find a place of your own again.”

“I… what? Here, with you?” She couldn’t have heard him correctly, right? Jumin Han, CEO of C&R International, professional suppressor of emotions and unable to love anyone other than his cat, allowing _kids_ in his penthouse? “You’d… you’d be okay with that?”

He glanced down at Elizabeth, frowning. “While it may not be ideal for me to have children running amok, it is certainly the _safest_ option for you three and that is what matters the most. You can understand why I wanted to discuss this in person, yes?”

She did understand. They couldn’t run the risk of being overheard and ruining the plan before it even had a chance to be enacted. But something bothered her slightly. “Not to be disrespectful or anything, but um. Is there a reason you’re telling me this and not Luciel?” She had told him, after all, and would have expected him to be the one to fill her in since he had claimed he’d do anything to keep her safe. Not that she had anything against Jumin, but it did make her wonder if perhaps Luciel was more upset with her than he had originally let on.

“Luciel is very busy with work right now. He said something about having to send his maid away to grab something from the store in order to be able to even be able to work on this the last time we spoke. The agency must have given him a rather large assignment for him to working nonstop like this.” There was a knock at the door, and Jumin carefully plucked Elizabeth off his lap, sitting her back on the couch as he stood. “That must be our food. Meet me in the dining room, please.”

MC tried to reorganize her thoughts on the short trip to the dining room, seating herself awkwardly at the table as she waited for him to return. It was a lot to take in; in one day, she had not only risked her and her children’s safety by opening her soul to Luciel, she had somehow set in action an attempt to save her children and bring them all together safely under Jumin’s roof. Presumably, when all was said and done, they would be fairly confined to the building to make sure no one could harm them; an inconvenience if that would be the case, but one she could live with if it meant she’d have her children back in her arms.

She started as a plate and set of silverware was set in front of her, causing Jumin to chuckle. “I apologize, I did not mean to scare you,” he said, walking over to the other side of the table to sit his own plate down. “I had them send up a bottle of wine, as well; would you care for a glass?”

“Is it red or white?” she asked, tearing her gaze away from the mouth-watering steak in front of her. She was actually very picky about wine; she generally only liked sweet ones.

“It is a red that pairs well with this type of meal,” he answered, pulling down two wine glasses. “Cabernet Sauvignon. If you’ve never had it, I suggest at least trying it. It really helps to bring out the flavors.”

She debated for a moment, knowing she didn’t typically care for that particular type. “I’ll give it a try,” she said finally, deciding that if she didn’t like it, it wouldn’t kill her to drink one glass and then refuse any more. At least she would feel like she did the polite thing that way.

He poured them both a glass before sitting down himself, taking a sip and then looking at her again. “I admit there was another reason besides Luciel’s schedule that led me to bring you here tonight.”

She quirked an eyebrow at him, pausing in cutting her steak. “Oh?”

He leaned forward as though he was going to tell her a secret, glancing around the dining room with an indecipherable look on his face. “This may come as a surprise to you, but I don’t have much experience with children. So I’m not entirely certain what needs to be changed to make this place more safe or enjoyable for them. I picked up a couple of catalogs that I’d like you to look at when we finish and order anything you think necessary. Food, clothing, toys, anything they will need, and I will have it delivered here tomorrow.”

She bit back a smile at his words; yep, that came as a _complete_ surprise. “Alright, I can do that,” she replied, letting her smile come through when he visibly relaxed, reaching forward to start eating his own meal. “And… thank you, Jumin. For everything.”

He waved a hand at her dismissively, not even bothering to look up. “You can thank me when it’s all over. Until then, let’s not assume anything is set in stone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's late in the day and I didn't think I'd manage to post it after the migraine I had yesterday and today... but here it is! Happy Thanksgiving to any of my American readers. And to anyone not American, I just hope you had a wonderful day. <3


	12. The Special Security System

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of extracting the children: part one!

Another mostly-sleepless night passed with MC only being able to enter a state of half-asleep at the best of times. He had spent the majority of the night playing out scenarios in his head based on Jumin’s plan, some of them good, others… well, he didn't care to remember those particular ones.

Jumin had agreed to send bodyguards to Zen, Yoosung and Jaehee just in case things went sideways, under the pretense of the hacker situation getting worse - which, to be fair, wasn't  _ entirely  _ a lie. He has seemed concerned about the fact that MC wouldn't have any, but after speaking with Luciel had decided it would be fine since MC wouldn't be on his own for much longer anyway. Honestly the only reason he had been sent home was to keep the impression that everything was normal and to pack. 

The packing hadn’t taken long at all, and he found himself lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling and trying to find a way to pass the time. Exhaling in frustration, he decided to open the RFA chat for about the sixth time this morning, hoping to find someone online this time.

> Jaehee Kang: Is the hacker situation really this serious?
> 
> Jaehee Kang: I thought Luciel had it under control?
> 
> Zen: Hey, MC.
> 
> MC: hi
> 
> Zen: So,
> 
> Zen: Jumin's giving us security guards?
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Yes.
> 
> Zen:  I mean, we'll be fine, but how about MC?
> 
> Jaehee Kang: ...that is true. 
> 
> Jaehee Kang: We can’t send security guards to a classified location.
> 
> Zen: ;;;;
> 
> MC: ill be ok
> 
> MC: no need to worry about lil ol me
> 
> Zen:  **I can’t help but worry!**
> 
> Zen: 
> 
> MC: ^^;;
> 
> MC: really, ill be fine, zen
> 
> MC: luciel is gonna protect me
> 
> Yoosung★: 
> 
> Yoosung★: How?
> 
> Jaehee Kang: That’s a good question.
> 
> MC: ahaha
> 
> MC: theres CCTV installed
> 
> MC: so hes keeping an eye on that
> 
> Zen:  **That’s it!?**
> 
> Zen: Seven, that dude… ;;;
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Hmm.
> 
> Jaehee Kang: While I see how that may help you feel safer,
> 
> Jaehee Kang: it’s not as if that can prevent anything from happening.
> 
> MC: I’ll
> 
> MC: be
> 
> MC:  **fine**
> 
> MC: >:(
> 
> Yoosung★: MC
> 
> Yoosung★: I’m sure they don’t meant to upset you
> 
> Yoosung★:we’re just worried.
> 
> MC: …
> 
> _ -707 has entered the chatroom.- _
> 
> MC: sry 
> 
> MC: i didnt sleep much last night so a bit on edge
> 
> Zen:  **Seven.**
> 
> 707:  **Zen.**
> 
> Zen:  **How are you going to protect MC?**
> 
> 707:  **With the mighty powers of the Great God Seven-Zero-Seven.**
> 
> Zen: 
> 
> MC: see?
> 
> MC: god seven has my back ^^
> 
> Zen:  **I’m serious.**
> 
> 707:  **So am I.**
> 
> Jaehee Kang: …
> 
> Jaehee Kang: I think we may just have to trust him on this, Zen.
> 
> Yoosung★: He’s never let us down before
> 
> Yoosung★: so I’m sure he’ll keep MC safe!
> 
> 707: sldkfjfj0a
> 
> 707: ja’sef;QWFOIU
> 
> 707: ASFO)#Rd
> 
> MC: j02385 iweksd
> 
> Jaehee Kang: That’s enough, please ^^
> 
> 707: aweiofd
> 
> 707: a;ei
> 
> Jaehee Kang: 
> 
> 707: Yikes, scary emoji.
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Luciel
> 
> Jaehee Kang: why didn’t you tell us the hacker situation was so serious?
> 
> 707: Sorry.
> 
> 707: I didn’t know until yesterday.
> 
> Yoosung★: Are you going to fix it???
> 
> 707: I’m trying
> 
> 707: But I have so much work for the agency
> 
> 707: Can’t focus…
> 
> Zen: You need to try harder.
> 
> Zen: MC needs to be safe.
> 
> MC: Zen…
> 
> 707: I keep checking the CCTV
> 
> 707: And nothing strange has happened!
> 
> 707: **I’ve been looking at it**
> 
> 707: every 2.35 seconds
> 
> 707: just in case something happens.
> 
> Jaehee Kang:  **2.35 seconds?**
> 
> Zen: That’s exact.
> 
> 707: ya.
> 
> 707: But it’s so frustrating
> 
> 707: I want to do more!
> 
> Zen: Can’t you just go to his place and work?
> 
> 707: No.
> 
> Yoosung★: Just send him bodyguards!
> 
> 707: I can’t reveal the address
> 
> 707: not without V’s permission.
> 
> Yoosung★:  **That shouldn’t matter right now.**
> 
> Yoosung★:  **MC’s safety is the most important.**
> 
> 707:  **I know.**
> 
> 707: But I can’t send bodyguards.
> 
> 707: To be honest, I was planning on creating a  **small watchdog** just to test it out.
> 
> 707: I’m not confident enough to send it to MC’s place.
> 
> 707: 
> 
> Zen: 
> 
> Zen: Is that…?
> 
> MC: fire!!
> 
> MC: it spits fire lmao
> 
> MC: and its so cuteeeee
> 
> MC: i want it
> 
> MC: gimme
> 
> 707: T_T
> 
> 707: I can’t
> 
> 707: It’s dangerous
> 
> Jaehee Kang: If you have time to make that, then you should get your work done.
> 
> 707: That’s what Vanderwood said.
> 
> Yoosung★: Your maid???
> 
> Zen: My manager is calling me.
> 
> Zen: I have to go.
> 
> Zen: Later guys.
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Have a great day, Zen~
> 
> Zen: Thanks, Jaehee. You too!
> 
> _ -Zen has left the chatroom.- _
> 
> 707:  **Why can’t I focus?**
> 
> MC: im sorry, luciel T_T
> 
> 707: No.
> 
> 707: It’s not your fault.
> 
> MC: it kinda is
> 
> Jaehee Kang: 
> 
> Jaehee Kang: I don’t see how this is your fault, MC?
> 
> MC: …
> 
> Yoosung★:  **Seven**
> 
> Yoosung★: you should give the puppy robot to MC.
> 
> 707: Did you not read earlier?
> 
> 707: I can’t. It spits real fire and it’s dangerous.
> 
> Yoosung★: So take that part out and give it to him as a souvenir.
> 
> 707:  **It’s not a souvenir.**
> 
> 707: I just made it because I couldn’t focus.
> 
> Yoosung★: Come on~
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Without that feature, it could be a nice gift.
> 
> Yoosung★: See?
> 
> Yoosung★: Even if it doesn’t help him,
> 
> Yoosung★: it’ll represent how much you’re worrying about him so I think it’s a good idea!
> 
> 707:  _ Worrying about him? _
> 
> Yoosung★: Ya.
> 
> Jaehee Kang: And maybe it’ll give you some piece of mind.
> 
> 707: You think…?
> 
> 707: I’m just so nervous
> 
> 707: and feel worried
> 
> 707: and wanna make gifts
> 
> Yoosung★: Seven;; What’s up with you?
> 
> 707: and I can’t focus
> 
> 707: and I keep wanting to turn on the messenger
> 
> Jaehee Kang: Luciel…
> 
> 707: and see the CCTV just in case he’s in range
> 
> Jaehee Kang:  **Luciel.**
> 
> 707: and I want to call him!!!
> 
> 707: Gahhh. I feel like I’m about to explode.
> 
> Jaehee Kang: It’s probably because of how you feel.
> 
> 707: My brain is not wired to have such emotions.
> 
> Jaehee Kang: 
> 
> MC: T_T
> 
> MC: Luciel???
> 
> Yoosung★: But I kind of thought that too…
> 
> 707: Thought what?
> 
> Yoosung★: ;;Since you  **have feelings for MC**
> 
> Yoosung★: you get worried, want to make gifts, and all that.
> 
> Jaehee Kang: I agree.
> 
> 707: H A V E F E E L I N G S?
> 
> Yoosung★: Yes!

 

MC chuckled a bit as Yoosung and Jaehee tried to convince Luciel that his creation of the robot equated to romantic feelings while Luciel backpedaled frantically. He really did find the puppy robot to be adorable even though it spit fire, which was far too dangerous of a thing to have around children. That wasn’t to mention the fact that Jumin probably wouldn’t like having such a thing around his cat.

Luckily for Luciel, Jaehee left fairly soon after that point because of some meeting Jumin called at the last minute. Without any backing and MC being quiet on the matter, Yoosung dropped the subject quickly. He also logged off shortly to get ready to go to class, leaving the two alone in the chat room.

 

> MC: well
> 
> MC: that wasnt awkward or anything ;;;
> 
> 707: lololol
> 
> 707: Nope.
> 
> 707:  **Not at all.**
> 
> MC: im sure the puppy assembled itself anyways
> 
> MC: by the power of god seven!
> 
> 707: That's exactly what happened!
> 
> 707: Greek God Seven!
> 
> Mc: i knew it lol
> 
> 707: Are you ready?
> 
> MC: as much as ill ever be 
> 
> MC: not like work is ever different lolol 
> 
> 707: Good.
> 
> 707: Another day, another dollar.
> 
> MC: yep!
> 
> 707: And u leave at noon, right?
> 
> MC: thats the plan stan 
> 
> 707: Stan!?
> 
> 707: Who is this Stan??
> 
> 707: Are you cheating on me, MC???
> 
> MC: im sorry!!!!
> 
> MC: he was just too tempting to resist 
> 
> MC: forgive me, great and powerful seven
> 
> MC: what must i do to make up for this grave mistake?
> 
> 707: Hmm,
> 
> 707: I think
> 
> 707: you must
> 
> 707: **be punished!**
> 
> MC: oh no!
> 
> 707: No more ice cream for u
> 
> MC: mercy!!! mercy, sir!!!
> 
> 707: N
> 
> 707: E
> 
> 707: V
> 
> 707: E
> 
> 707: R
> 
> 707: Now I must return to work.
> 
> 707 
> 
> 707: Let me know how work goes
> 
> MC: yes your holiness
> 
> 707: lol
> 
> 707: Laterz
> 
> _ -707 has left the chatroom.- _

He dropped his phone next to him on the pillow and reached up to stretch, his fingers grazing the wall behind him. There was little for him to do as he waited for the hours to pass, having packed and repacked about three times by now. All of his items were waiting by the front door so that he could grab them and go without any hesitation. He had also been combing through the emails he’d received from potential guests but since he generally kept on top of those, he had caught up so quickly that it had taken very little time. 

He was so looking forward to this afternoon. Typically he met the children at the cafe at noon sharp, but today was the day the team organized by Luciel would swoop in to take them from The Mint Eye’s clutches. The plan had become more fleshed out while he had been with Jumin last night, the details being shared between his host and the hacker lining it all up. As it stood, the group was going in disguised as mercenaries hired by none other than his ex, and Luciel had left many traces leading back to John to cement that suspicion. While no one really believed that their targets would simply accept this, it was hopefully enough to throw them off MC’s scent long enough to make sure everyone got to safety.

MC was beyond excited to reunite with his children at Jumin’s penthouse. He would no longer be going to work and his job - for the time being - would be to make sure the kids didn’t cause any damage to the place or Elizabeth as well as helping a little with organizing any paperwork Jumin would bring home. He wasn’t  _ entirely _ certain what made him qualified to become a sort of second assistant, but it would help him feel less like mooch as well as keep him busy, so he had no real complaints about it.

Hell, maybe if he did well enough at it, he could be hired on as such - surely such a position would pay far better than what he made at restaurant.

Sighing, he grabbed his phone again and pulled up tripter, browsing through his dashboard and adding things to his queue for a while. Before he had left John, the website had been a major part of what helped keep him sane. As strange as it sounded, speaking with strangers from around the world had helped him work through his issues and distracted him from the sick reality he had lived in. It was also through some of the awesome people he’d met that he had started to understand his gender identity more; for the longest time, he had just decided he was a poor excuse of a woman who half of the time didn’t even feel like one. The discovery of nonbinary as an identity had been relieving, but finding that genderfluid was a thing? Oh, that had been pure freedom indeed. It had been torturous to have to hide that part of him once he knew what it was and how to work with it, but since it was yet another thing he had to hide in a list so long he could hardly keep track, he had just accepted it.

He had been neglecting his friends since then, only logging on sporadically while he was on the move and even less so since shit had hit the fan with the Mint Eye and the RFA. 

He’d have to make up for that later. 

When he felt sufficiently caught up, he switched over a game on his phone that involved tapping piano tiles to songs he enjoyed. While it was a nice way to interact with the music, he could only ever play it in short spurts because the background would change colors and the stars on it would float around and it was just too much for his brain to process after a while. Regardless, he did enjoy it when he could.

He managed to pass an hour and a half between the two before his phone beeped at him, letting him know he had a text message from Jaehee. Curious, he closed the game and switched over to see what she had said.

 

_Jaehee Kang [9:42] I hope your morning is going well. Mine certainly has improved since I checked my email._

 

Smiling, he typed back a reply quickly.

 

_MC [9:43] oooh, does that mean you liked it??? :)_

_Jaehee [9:45] Yes, actually. No offense, but I wasn’t expecting something quite like this to come from Luciel, even with you helping. It is actually a very good business plan._

_Jaehee [9:46] Even better, I think Mr. Han may like it._

_MC [9:46] good!!! im glad to hear that!_

_MC [9:47] as long as it helps, that’s what i care about. you have too much on your plate_

_Jaehee Kang [9:48] Well, that’s the life of being Mr. Han’s assistant. I chose this, so I suppose I should deal with the consequences. Still, I thank you and Luciel for doing this for me._

_MC [9:50] oh jaehee_

_MC [9:50] if youre not happy, plz dont stay there_

_MC [9:51] you deserve happiness as well_

_Jaehee [9:51] …_

_Jaehee [9:52] Thank you for saying that, but it’s not like I have many other options available to me._

_Jaehee [9:53] Plus, I do feel happy when I work on the coffee project._

_MC [9:54] then plz, dont let go of it!_

_MC [9:55] i hope you cheer up jaehee, im here for you whenever you need me_

_Jaehee [9:56] I am so glad to hear you say that. Thank you. :)_

_MC [9:56] we should go on another coffee date sometime!_

_Jaehee [9:58] I agree, let’s do that. But I should get back to work now. I’ll text you later!_

 

It seemed like things were finally looking up for a least a few of the RFA members. He was going to get his children back and be free (kind of) again. Jaehee was finding some solace in a portion of her work and had accepted his and Luciel’s help. Yoosung seemed to be starting to focus more on schoolwork again, and Zen had been less rude to Jumin as of late. Finally! Oh, he was starting to feel very giddy, despite his nerves.

He checked the time again, noting it was shortly past ten. He still had a little under two hours to wait, but at least it was passing, however slowly. Sitting up, he decided that he could take one last shower before leaving Rika’s apartment, maybe for the last time ever. Yes, a hot shower would do wonders to help ease his mind and the stress he felt in his muscles.

 

* * *

He had heard his phone go off a few times but had chosen to ignore it, instead revelling in the feel of the hot water pounding against his skin. Not in any rush, he had decided to stay in until he ran out of any semblance of warm water, finally turning it off when it had cooled down enough to start to usurp his warmth. 

He stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel and doing his best to wring the moisture from his hair, stepping lightly across the floor toward the mirror. Wrapping the now dampened towel around his chest, he reached out a hand to wipe off some of the steam that had collected on the mirror, staring into eyes that were obviously sleep-deprived but no longer void of hope. It felt like he was seeing life returning to him finally, and it felt good.

Stepping across the hall to his room, he gave a cheery wave at the camera, wondering what Luciel’s reaction to seeing him in a towel would be. Normally he brought clothes into the bathroom with him (just a stupid habit he had acquired while living with John for safety) but he had forgone that today. 

His phone was plugged in and charging even though it hadn’t really needed it, but he felt like overpreparing today. It was blinking at him insistently, so he sat down on the side of the bed and pulled it up to squint at it, not having put his glasses back on yet.  _ Odd, _ he thought as he saw he had missed three calls and a handful of texts from Luciel.  _ Wonder what’s going on that’s got him all worked up. _

Tapping on the button to call him back, he was surprised when Luciel answered before the first ring completed. “There you are! Why didn’t you answer sooner? Are you okay?” His voice was laced in worry and he sounded like he was trying not to panic.

Frowning, MC placed it on speakerphone and grabbed his hair brush, starting to pull it through the damp, tangled mass. “I’m fine? I was just taking a shower. To uh, you know, get ready for  _ work _ in a bit. Needed to pass the time.” He flinched when the bristles caught on a knot, reaching up with his fingers to try to work it out with as little pain as possible. 

“No, you can’t go to work! Or anywhere, you can’t leave the apartment at all today! Something...something bad might happen! Oh god,” Luciel said in a rush, a strangled sob following the end of the sentence. 

“I… what?” MC froze, confused by both what he had said and  _ how _ he had said it. “But I… I  _ have _ to leave today, you know that! My kids…”

“...will have to be fine for the time being at Jumin’s without you. You. Can’t. Go. Do you understand?”

He shifted, worry blooming throughout him quickly. “Luciel, what the hell is going on? You should know that nothing,  _ nothing,  _ will keep me from my kids today!”

“A bomb will.”

“A  **_bomb!?_ ** ” MC’s eyes widened, jaw dropping as he tried to process this new information. What. The. Fuck.

“Yes, a bomb. Oh god, I’m so sorry, MC. I screwed up. Someone hacked into the special security system and I! I should’ve been able to stop it but I’ve been so busy with work and couldn’t focus… I failed you, I’m sorry! It’s not safe for you right now. You can’t leave, I can’t guarantee your safety anymore, if you leave the bomb might go off and I just can’t…! No, that can’t happen…” There were some odd noises coming from his end of the line, noises that sounded  _ almost _ like he was tossing things into a box but MC couldn’t be sure. “I’m coming. I’ve got to fix it and make sure you’re safe.”

MC reeled back in shock. “You’re… you’re coming here? But I thought you were too busy to leave your house?”

“I shouldn’t. I haven’t finished the job yet but your safety is more important. Hold on, I’ll be there as soon as I can. Don’t leave, okay? Promise me you won’t leave.”

Shaking his head, MC drug a hand down his face as his emotions fought each other for dominance. “I’ll wait, Luciel. Just… hurry, please.”

“I’m on my way now. Hold on!”  _ Click. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As the end of November draws near (and the end of this story!), I just wanted to say that I'll be opening up to prompts on my tumblr again soon. I stopped taking them for a while because I needed a break, but I'm feeling much better so! I welcome anyone who feels like prompting me at that time. It'd be nice to have a few mm ones thrown in amidst my normal Dragon Age pairings for variety and whatnot. :)


	13. Babysitting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With MC stuck at home, who will take care of their children?
> 
> From Jaehee's POV.

Zen: What the hell is this…!?

Jaehee Kang: I can’t believe there is a bomb where MC is at…

Jaehee Kang: And the bomb might go off any minute…?

Yoosung★:

Yoosung★: I can’t believe V and Seven let MC live there with a bomb!

Jumin Han: It is safest that Luciel goes there himself to fix the problem.

Jumin Han: Yet…

Jumin Han: I can’t believe V had him install a bomb there.

Zen: MC is defenseless right now…!

Zen: We have to do  **something!**

Jaehee Kang: I understand that you’re anxious… but Luciel is on his way, so why don’t we wait a bit?

Jumin Han: Yes.

Jumin Han: Let’s trust Luciel, for now.

Jumin Han: Assistant Kang.

Jumin Han: I need you to come to my penthouse immediately.

Jaehee Kang: Your penthouse…?

Jumin Han: Yes.

_ -Jumin Han has left the chatroom.- _

Jaehee Kang: 

Zen: Jumin, that guy…

Zen: Does he even care that there’s a bomb there?

Zen: 

Yoosung★: I don’t know.

Yoosung★: I want to help so bad.

Yoosung★: 

Jaehee Kang: Have faith in Luciel.

Jaehee Kang: I must go…

Zen: Good luck, Jaehee!

_ -Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom.- _

 

_ Oh, what now? _ Jaehee thought as she closed the messenger, leaning back in her chair. She wearily eyed the pile of papers on the desk in front of her that she needed to finish still, her workload increasing with every day Mr. Han took off work. Even with today having been only a half-day off, it still gave her more to do. She often caught herself wondering if taking this job had been worth it after two years of this.

She pulled out her larger briefcase, hoping it all would fit in it. She kept the different subjects as separated as she could, pausing for a moment before deciding to forgo the Chairman’s coffee project in favor of bringing the ever-growing stack of things Mr. Han needed to sign. If she was going to end up visiting the penthouse, she may as well get him to do  _ some _ work while she was there.

The ride went smoothly with little traffic between the office and Mr. Han’s building, and she let out a sigh as she stepped out of the car. Taking a breath, she squared her shoulders as she walked in the building with security guards at her side, squeezing into the elevator as it rose to the level of the penthouse. The security upstairs let her through without any preamble, and she entered Mr. Han’s apartment to the sounds of… laughter? Eyebrows drawn in confusion, she shut the door behind her and slipped off her shoes, setting down the briefcase and walking quietly toward the ruckus she heard coming from the living room. She peeked around the corner, not sure what she was expecting to see.

But it certainly wasn’t  _ that. _

Mr. Han was sitting on his couch, a young boy of about five on his lap, reading a book about stars to him. The boy had a head of bright blonde hair and he was smiling, reaching out little fingers to turn the page when needed. The book seemed… rather advanced for such a young boy, but his eyes were traveling across the page as Mr. Han read, greedily taking in all it had to offer him. 

She jumped as a toy clattered to the ground near her, turning to see large, grey-blue eyes turned up to her from the floor filled with something akin to, but not quite, fear. The little girl backed away as she took in Jaehee, her red hair tied back in a ponytail with a green ribbon, its curls spiraling down to brush her neck delicately. She let out a small whimper, calling out something Jaehee could not quite understand. However, at her cry the little boy perked up and slid off Mr. Han’s lap, running over to the girl and standing next to her.

“It’s okay, Li, Mister Han will protect us. Mommy said so. Who are you?” he demanded, narrowing his eyes at Jahee suspiciously, stepping in front of the girl. Jaehee could only gape at him, trying and failing to form words as her mind worked to comprehend the situation at hand.

A deep chuckle off to the side caused her to turn her eyes toward Mr. Han who had set the book aside and stood up, brushing off his pants before approaching them. “This is Assistant Kang, Tai.”

The little boy turned his brown eyes back to Mr. Han, tilting his head to the side as he thought. “Oh!” he said suddenly, face brightening as he looked back at Jaehee, a wide grin on his face. “The lady from your office! Mommy said she’s really nice.” Jaehee did a double-take at the words; could these be…?

Mr. Han cast a look at Jaehee, frowning slightly. “Yes, I suppose you could say she is. Anyway, she’s here to help take care of you.”

“Wait, what?” She found her voice, turning wide eyes on her boss. “I’m here to  _ what? _ Really, Mr. Han, this is ridiculous. I’m not a babysitter!” First the cat, now  _ children? _ Certainly Mr. Han didn’t think that was in the her job description? She had never taken care of children before, nor did she have any real desire to. Not yet, at least.

Mr. Han shrugged, walking over to where he had a remote perched on a shelf by his enormous television and flipped the screen on. “Nor am I, yet here we are. We have much to talk about. Tai, come here.” Tai grabbed hold of the girl’s- was it Li?- hand, pulling her (rather reluctantly on her end, it seemed) over to Mr. Han, taking the remote when it was handed to him. “I assume you know how to work this?” He nodded, releasing the girl and bringing his other hand up to the remote as well. “Excellent. Find something you and your sister like and watch it for a bit. I must speak with Assistant Kang regarding the arrangement we have with your… mother. Okay?”

“Yes, sir!” Tai said with obvious zeal, already flipping through channels in search of a child’s show - or so Jaehee assumed. To her surprise, Jumin gave a small chuckle again before turning to stride out of the room. When she didn’t follow right away, he called for her and she hastened to comply.

He was seated at a chair in his study, a glass of wine in his hand. He motioned toward another plush seat which she took hesitantly, her mind still reeling over the fact that there were  _ children _ in  _ Mr. Han’s _ house. “I… don’t understand,” she said slowly, reaching up to push her glasses up the bridge of her nose. She wasn’t entirely certain those three words truly encompassed her level of confusion.

He took a sip of his wine, letting out a small exhale as he regarded her. “Assistant Kang… I’m afraid we haven’t been entirely truthful with you, or the rest of the RFA regarding MC’s unfortunate… circumstances. I intend to tell you now. It may be a lot to take it, but I assure you-”

She held up a hand, halting his speech before he could get too far into it to be stopped. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and wet her lips before responding, “if it’s going to be any more confusing than what I’ve just experienced, I may need to ask for a glass of wine from you.” 

“Please, help yourself,” he said, motioning toward the cabinet where a few more glasses were sitting along with a bottle of wine. She stood and quickly poured herself a glass, drinking about half of it before refilling it and returning to her seat. She had a feeling what she was about to hear would be a doozy.

 

* * *

 

 

"I'm honestly not sure what I'm doing." Jaehee let out a nervous laugh, holding her glasses in her left hand as she rubbed at her forehead. "I'm not experienced with children _at all._ I just don't want to mess anything up." She glanced at the two kids out of the corner of her eye, both playing with toy cars on the floor. Mr. Han had finished reading the book to Tai a little bit ago while Jaehee had attempted to gain Li's trust. She had a feeling she had been going about it the wrong way but it was obvious the girl had absolutely _no_ interest in going anywhere near Mr. Han.

There was a melodic laugh on the other end of the line, and she found herself in awe that MC could laugh at a time like this when he was going through so much. "You'll be okay, Jaehee. It's not that bad. Really, all you've gotta do is keep them alive. And it sounds like Jumin and Tai are getting along well, strangely enough. He's old enough to do a lot for himself anyway, like his dressing and going potty and all that. It's _Li_ who's going to give you some difficulty."

"Yes, I figured that. She is being rather... obstinate about letting me get too close. Of course, I'm doing better than Mr. Han but still... how am I supposed to change her diaper if she keeps running away? What about a bath? Or feeding her? Oh god, this is too much. A cat is one thing, but _children..."_ She worked on calming herself, trying to even out her breathing before she put herself in a panic.

"Calm down, you're going to be okay. You have to take your time, let her come to you. Now, I promise if you sit on the floor and start playing with one of her babies attentively - just ignore her, don't try to engage her - she will come to you. Then she'll slowly start playing with you. That's your opening. Once she realizes you're not going to hurt her, she'll become like a barnacle and you won't be able to get rid of her."

Jaehee huffed out a breath. "I'm not sure I like the sound of _that,_ either." She slipped her glasses back on, stepping across the floor toward the box filled with toys, peering into it to look for a doll.

"It'll be fine. Just remember, I'm always just a phone call or text away. You'll never be without guidance."

_ Ah, here's one. _ She pulled out a small princess baby doll, finding a bottle and a small blanket as well. "Thank you, MC. I'm sorry, I should be supporting you right now, not the other way around. Compared to a _bomb_ _,_ taking care of children is nothing." She carefully dropped to the floor, crossing her legs and setting the doll in her lap, looking at it curiously. It'd been a long time since she'd seen one. Their features had definitely improved over the years.

A sigh came across the phone. "Having children suddenly dropped in your lap is no easy task. I remember what it's like. Don't worry about me. Luciel will be here soon and things will be fixed on my end, then I can come take over. Hopefully within the next day. Okay?"

"Okay. I'll do my best until then." They said their goodbye's and she set the phone aside, glancing over at Li. _Well,_ _no time like the present,_ she thought, starting to play with the doll. Just like MC said, after a few minutes Li had started to approach her, big eyes curious as Jaehee pretended to rock the baby to sleep. 

_ This isn't so bad. _ With Li now settled in her lap and Tai back over speaking with Mr. Han about things no five-year-old should understand, it looked like they'd maybe finally started heading down the right track.


	14. Shattered Glass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back at the apartment, MC waits for Seven to show up and ends up with a different guest entirely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some violence, some blood. Not much of either.

MC hung up with Jaehee and wiped at his eyes, drying the tears that he had felt dripping down his cheeks during the phone call. It had taken all of his willpower to keep sounding cheerful and to hold the sobs at bay, but Jaehee had sounded so panicked that he felt the need to comfort her without letting on how much it was getting to him. His children were finally safe - thank god - and with people he trusted, but he couldn’t see them. He hoped that he could get out the apartment within 24 hours, but with how panicked Luciel had sounded, he wasn’t entirely certain that would be the case. He missed them terribly and wanted nothing more than to hold them and kiss them with no restraint, to be able to change Li’s diaper and read Tai his stories, to cuddle them and put them to bed, to bathe them…

Just a little longer. That’s all he had to wait was a little longer… hopefully.

Well. Now he was just waiting on Luciel. It was nearing one in the afternoon already, well past the hour and a half mark since that panicked phone call. He’d received a few texts here and there reasserting the fact that he could not leave the apartment as well as promising to arrive soon. He was starting to wonder just how soon ‘soon’ actually was.

Walking into the kitchen, he pulled up his phone log, finger hovering over the icon to call Luciel. Should he call him to see if he’s on his way or at least to check if he’s okay? He was a bit worried about what was taking him so long; something about Vanderwood? What was it about his maid that kept blocking him from doing things? No, now was not the time to bother him. He set his phone on the counter, reaching up into a cupboard to grab a snack.

Suddenly an alarm started blaring throughout his apartment, causing him to freeze with his hand mid-air, mind racing to try to figure out what it meant. He changed directions to instead grab his phone with intention to call Luciel but the sound of shattering glass shocked him into spinning around, hands raised to guard his face from any shards. The blaring of the alarm died out as quickly as it began, leaving his ears ringing as he slowly lowered his hands, squinting in the direction of the window that had broken.

Standing in front of it was someone with pink-tipped white hair, brushing off his jeans and black leather jacket to free it from glass. He let out a sigh as he looked around at the mess surrounding him, a look of disappointment on his face. “Gosh… I didn’t plan on making a sound but I suppose I failed on that.” Familiar aquamarine eyes moved up to meet MC’s eyes, causing a chill to run down his spine. “Hey… just stay there. You’ll hurt your feet if you step on the glass. I’ll come to you.” Thick boots crunched over the shattered remains of the window as he approached MC, a black mask covering the lower half of his face. MC could tell that he was smiling even with his mouth blocked, and he pushed back further into the counter behind him, wishing he could melt into it at that moment.

The man stopped directly in front of him, looking down and surveying him closely. “Well. Do you remember me?” he asked with the slightest hint of amusement, obviously knowing the answer.

“You’re the Disciple,” MC breathed, biting his lip as he stared at him in horror. “Why…? I thought… I didn’t think you’d come here.” He gripped the counter behind him with both hands, slowly moving one in the direction of his phone. He already knew that if it came to hand-to-hand combat he didn’t have the upper hand; maybe he could get a call in quick enough to let Luciel know something was wrong.

The Disciple laughed, a cold, bitter thing, just the same as his eyes. “No, I suppose not. I never told you what to expect, did I?” He glanced around the apartment, eyes lingering for a moment on the CCTV, sneering at it as they did. “I’ve never seen this place in person before. Hmm. Anyway, I see you’ve already packed. That’s handy… although, if you weren’t planning to come with _me,_ that does beg the question where you were planning on going.” He motioned aggressively at the luggage by the door, an eyebrow raised in question.

“I...I… well, I…” MC couldn’t seem to come up with an excuse, his mind having stuttered to a complete stop in panic by now. He was using most of his focus to move his hand further up on the counter, feeling his fingers brush against the phone. Just a little more..

“Ah, well, it doesn’t matter. I’ve come to take you back to paradise. The RFA is only filled with false hope… especially V and Luciel. They’re **_liars_** ,” he snarled the last word, hatred and cold rage filling his words. MC flinched, his fear ratcheting up another notch. The movement caused him to shove the phone back out of his reach, catching the attention of the Disciple when it slid across the counter.

“Ah-ah, my sneaky mouse, you don’t need that anymore,” he laughed as he reached over MC to pluck his phone off the surface and carelessly toss it over is shoulder. “Now,” he said, reaching out and grabbing onto MC’s arm, yanking him closer. “Let’s get back to the Mint Eye, shall we?”

MC pulled back, fighting against the firm grip. “No! I’m not going anywhere with you!” He balled up his free hand, swinging at the man in front of him. His fist connected with the Disciple’s jaw, shocking him and causing him to loosen his grip nearly enough for MC to slip out of. Unfortunately, the Disciple’s reactions were quicker than he expected, and he latched on before MC could fully free himself.

MC shuddered when he saw the cold fury now directed at him in those eyes. “You’ll pay for that, little mouse,” the Disciple growled, spinning them around to walk toward the door. MC slumped, all hope going out of him when he heard a familiar beeping-

“LUCIEL!” he shouted at the top of his lungs, praying that he was right. “HELP ME, PLEASE!” He let out a cry of pain when a knee connected with his ribs, causing him to double over and clutch his side.

“Don’t yell out that fucking filthy name again,” the Disciple snarled, yanking him back up straight. “You’ll make me go _insane._ **Why** would you call out his name? He will not come,” he sounded so sure, so confident in that fact that MC’s heart sank, thinking maybe he had just been hearing things in his desperation. “Even if he does come, he’s already too late to save you. I will cleanse you of your false faith and show you paradise.”

MC whimpered, feeling tears pool in his eyes again. He was so _screwed,_ but at least his children were safe. Jumin and Jaehee may not have any experience parenting, but they’d at least make sure they were well taken care of-

The door burst open suddenly, Luciel rushing into the living room muttering under his breath. The Disciple whipped MC against his chest in response to the sudden appearance, the action drawing Luciel’s attention and causing him to freeze in his tracks. His eyes widened as he took in the sight before him, his bags dropping to the ground in shock. “MC!!!” he cried out, a hand reaching behind him into his pocket.

“Don’t even think about it,” the Disciple growled, his grip across MC’s chest growing even tighter. “Shit! Why are you even _here?”_ He reached into his own pocket, whipping out something that looked suspiciously like the button you’d push to trigger a detonation of some sort. MC tried to squirm away from the device unsuccessfully, his eyes meeting Luciel’s in a silent plea. “Damnit,” the Disciple muttered under his breath, taking a few steps back and dragging MC along. “I thought I could finally cause you pain…”

MC saw Luciel take a quick breath and steel himself, the secret agent training kicking in. “So. You must be the hacker from our friendly neighborhood Mint Eye. Well. You’ll go to jail for breaking and entering, although it is impressive that you broke the window.” His voice was cool and collected, eyes sweeping the apartment for anything that could be used against him - or that he could use, if need be. “But first… why don’t you let go of the nice man there?”

The Disciple stiffened at the suggestion, taking another few steps back. “Ugh. Even now, all you do is ruin my life…” MC’s eyes widened as it hit him: they were related. When he had the nightmare, he had managed to get close enough to his memory of the man to realize there was something familiar about him. He tilted his head up to try to catch a better view of his captor and realized that he and Luciel shared a lot in common, including the bright red hair that the Disciple had tried to get rid of.

“Oh my god…” MC whispered, snapping his eyes back over to Luciel. What in the actual fuck kind of soap opera shit was this?

Luciel furrowed his brows, frowning at the Disciple. “Huh? You know me?” If he had been able to, MC would have reached out and slapped him right across the face for missing what was _obviously_ right in front of him.

Shifting his position ever so slightly, the Disciple sneered at Luciel. “Figures. You probably don’t know. I’m sure you’ve long forgotten about me.” Using a few fingers from the hand holding the trigger, he slid the mask down to reveal the rest of his face, smirking coldly at the man gaping at him. “You still don’t know? Wow. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

MC’s heart broke as Luciel’s golden eyes widened and became filled with a deep pain, his mask cracking to reveal pure anguish underneath. “No...now way…”

Another bitter laugh from the Disciple, the vibrations traveling through MC and intensifying the feeling of sickness he now had. “I guess you do now. Today must be my unlucky day to meet you here. Ah, it felt so good to hack your programs, a small way to chip away at the life you built for yourself, leaving me behind. But now it’s all back to square one.” MC worried his lip, trying to work it all out. So… the plan wasn’t for the whole of the RFA, but specifically for Luciel? _Figures that he’s the one I fell for, too._

“Saeran… what happened? Why… why are you here!?” Tears had pooled in Luciel’s eyes, his hands hanging limply at his side as he watched the Disciple. “I don’t… how did this happen… this shouldn’t be…”

“Don’t call me that!” the Disciple snapped, his body starting to shake in anger. MC stiffened in fear, closing his eyes to try to calm down. “You don’t deserve to say that name.”

He peeked to see Luciel running his hands through his hair in distress. “You’re the one who did all this? God, when did you learn how to hack? I don’t… Rika said that you…”

“You… don’t you _dare_ say that name,” the Disciple said flatly, all emotion gone. MC’s fear spiked, knowing that him emotionless was just as dangerous as him angry. “You’re a traitor, any name you say will be contaminated. So shut. Up.”

It was all getting to be too much. He felt his brain frying, a signal that soon he’d lose control over himself and go into meltdown mode. _No,_ he thought, trying to fend it off. _I don’t even want to know what’ll happen to me if that happens. I can’t, no, must calm down…_ He focused inward, the words around him becoming muffled as he attempted to regain control of his body and his mind. _Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in...breathe out...no… no, stop… not now…_

The alarm went off again, startling the Disciple and sending MC over the edge. His body stiffened and then went limp, the dead weight apparently catching the Disciple off-guard as he fell to the floor unhindered, mind going blank.

 

* * *

 

Luciel saw the signs but didn’t know how to help. The longer MC was held against Saeran, the more distressed he became. An obvious reaction, sure, but it was more than that; he had seen him meltdown a few times over the CCTV and recognized the blank look in his eyes, the loss of rigidity in his muscles as he relaxed against Saeran and the tight, small breaths he switched to. It must have been God’s own will that the alarm system went off right as he lost the battle, the combination of the noise and the sudden collapse of his prisoner making Saeran panic and, consequently, bolt. Luciel watched him go feeling like his heart had just been fed through a meat grinder but didn’t allow himself long to dwell on it. No, he had more important things to do than to worry about his feelings at the moment.

The first thing he did was shut the door. In his shock he hadn’t actually finished that particular action, planning on setting down his bags before kicking it shut with his foot. The next thing he did was rush over to scoop MC up off the floor, carrying him over to the couch and carefully lowering him, noting the new wounds that had come from collapsing on top of broken glass. He’d have to tend to those momentarily.

His curiosity had led him to research more into the diagnosis of autism and, specifically, what caused/alleviated meltdowns. It had been fascinating, but ultimately he could not find the information he was seeking. The one thing he had definitively came away with was that every meltdown was different and there was no set way to bring someone back from one; their body had to work through the overload on its own. Unfortunate, but something he could work with.

“Sorry, MC,” he muttered as he started to run his fingers up and down the limp man’s arms and legs, looking for any signs of embedded glass that he’d need to extract. Luckily he found none on MC’s right side, so he carefully flipped him over to be laying on that side while he checked the left. Again, a few new cuts but nothing glittery and sharp in the skin. Excellent.

Finally he rolled him over onto his right side so that he was facing the couch, rearranging the pillows by his head a bit to try to keep him as comfortable as possible. He flinched when he saw how shredded the back of MC’s shirt was, biting the inside of his cheek when he caught the light reflecting on a few different spots on his back. Standing up, he made his way to the bathroom, opening the cupboard and searching for a pair of tweezers. Moving medicine around and other random toiletries, he became frustrated when he didn’t see any. “Come _on!’_ he grumbled, slamming it shut perhaps a bit harder than necessary. He opened a couple of the drawers on the vanity, digging through each until he finally found what he was looking for tucked in the back of the third. Grabbing them up, he quickly rinsed the tweezers under hot water and grabbed a towel before running out of the bathroom and into the kitchen to get a bowl.

Returning to the couch, he placed a hand on MC’s shoulder and squeezed it gently, setting down the bowl on the coffee table. “MC, you have some glass in your back that I’m going to remove. This may sting a little… and I’m sorry about your shirt.” He proceeded to rip the back of it open, shoving it out of his way as he ran his hands down MC’s back to feel out where any less visible shards may be hidden. He eyed the binder, but it seemed to be in better condition and he didn’t feel anything there. He began extracting them carefully, methodically, eyes narrowed and tongue sticking out slightly in concentration.

With the clink of each shard in the bowl, he’d pause to dab any blood away that had seeped out, taking his time and thanking God himself that he had to go through minor injury training at the agency. He would glance periodically at MC to see if he had started to stir yet, hoping to finish before he came around. He had tried timing past meltdowns to see how long they lasted, but again there seemed to be no particular rhyme or reason to the length. Luckily, he got his wish.

He stood up and retrieved a fresh towel, wetting it slightly and wiping down MC’s back before running his hands down it again to double-check. Shit. Missed one.

He performed another wash and repeat, finally confident that he had managed to get rid of all the glass. He rolled MC onto his back, peeling the shirt completely off and sitting it next to the bowl on the coffee table, leaning over to grab a blanket to pull it up over him.

After disposing of the glass and ripped shirt, he stood for a moment, watching MC taking shallow breaths sadly. His emotions were all over the place, protectiveness spiking when a small whine left MC's lips. Stepping closer, he laid a hand on top of MC's, feeling love and regret rising within him. Oh, what had gone so wrong in his life that he was at the point that he was? His only brother, whom he had tried to save, involved in some cult that had kidnapped MC’s kids to use him against the RFA. A lonely life in the agency where he could never have anything real, anything substantial, no matter how much his heart yearned for it. It didn't matter that he loved MC, that he would willingly give his life for him when all he did is endanger the man with his very presence. If only…

No, it didn’t do any good to think of ‘if onlys.’ He shook his head to try to dislodge any thoughts that were attempting to head down a road he couldn’t let them, withdrawing his hand to look for a broom. He proceeded to clean up the glass still lying scattered on the floor, not wanting to risk more injury. Grabbing his bags, he glanced around the living room once before moving to a corner occupied by a chair and a side table, deciding it would do. He grabbed another small table and moved it near, rearranging the few items into a makeshift workstation in lieu of an actual desk. With one last glance over at MC, he started pulling out his laptop and other hacking essentials, making himself at home.

 

* * *

 

MC’s skin was tingling and his head was fuzzy when he finally regained control of his body, the feeling of the blanket over him nearly painful. Raising a shaky hand to his forehead, he slowly sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the couch and squinting in the direction he heard typing. As his eyesight cleared he was able to make out that it was Luciel there, already having made himself completely at home with all of his hacking equipment. He had his headphones on and he was intently focusing on the screen in front of him, not even acknowledging the movement in front of him.

MC stretched out to help soothe his sore muscles but immediately shrunk back into a slouch, finally feeling the pain that was skittering across his back at every movement. He reached a hand back, realizing that he was shirtless - but still wearing his binder, thank god - and that there were several jagged cuts rising angrily along the skin. He flinched when his finger rubbed a particularly sore one, his mind slowly putting the pieces of the puzzle together. He must’ve collapsed on the glass and Luciel must’ve cleaned him up.

“I’m sorry about your shirt.” MC jumped, not expecting Luciel to say anything. He looked over at him to see him frowning, his headphones back around his neck. “I had to take it off to get all of the shards out. You might wanna take some medicine for the pain, though. And a good shower later to keep anything from getting infected.”

MC nodded, standing up to head to the bathroom. “I will. Thank you so much, Luciel. You saved my life… again.” He paused for a moment before changing directions, choosing instead to give his friend a hug. But as he got closer, Luciel visibly stiffened and held up his hands in front of him in the universal sign of ‘don’t come any closer.’ He froze, eyebrows furrowed as he stared at Luciel, puzzled.

“It was the least I could do considering it's Saeran who did this to you. It seems it’s… my fault you’re involved in all of this in the first place. I… think it’ll be better if you keep your distance from me.”

MC’s mouth dropped open and he crossed his arms over his chest, watching his friend in confusion. “Um, no? We’re friends, have been for a few months. I don’t blame you for this. I don’t care what his reasons were, it was still _him_ and that creepy cult who kidnapped me, not you. Don’t shut me out, please. I need you,” he whispered, seeing many emotions flicker on Luciel’s face before it became a blank slate, shutting him out from anything.

“No. You need to leave me alone. I have to work. Go take care of your back, and don’t talk to me again, okay?” His tone left no room for argument and was filled with such coldness that MC physically staggered back a few steps, eyes wide as a hand clutched at his chest where his heart was.

“Luciel… please…” There was no response from the hacker as he pulled his headphones back on, eyes back on the computer screen in front of him. The sounds of typing filled the room once more, leaving MC feeling hurt, rejected and _alone._ Biting his lip to try to hold back the tears that had formed, he turned and fled to the bathroom to try to escape the feelings washing over him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eh. Meltdown loosely based off my own. Everyone is different.
> 
> Also - I'm looking for a beta or two for my next little series I'm doing. Because I'm actually going to take my time for once and try to be better? It will be an AU of the merfolk sort, and it's literally going to be a series. One story each (some chaptered, maybe all of them, who knows) to each pairing with a MC that all ties in together at the end. So... if that sounds interesting... let me know? I'm StarlingHawke on tumblr :)


	15. The Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A threatening text leads to an argument between temporary roommates.

“You left your phone out here. It keeps going off. It’s distracting me. Please take it.”

MC rolled over in his bed to see the outline of Luciel standing in the doorway, thankful that the darkness of his room would conceal the fact that he’d been crying. Just the same, he couldn’t see Luciel’s face and while he was curious, he knew that was probably for the better. The last time they spoke was when he had made supper after showering, deciding to make spaghetti because he hadn’t had it in a while. It was easy and made a lot, so he figured he could make some for Luciel as well. As a side thought, he’d wondered if Luciel had ever _had_ spaghetti - but he didn’t think it’d be an issue. So he had made it and served both of them up a plate, taking Luciel his. He hadn’t been expecting a warm thank you considering how he had been pushed away earlier, but he certainly hadn’t been prepared for the tongue-lashing he received. In the end, Luciel had grudgingly accepted the food but had made sure to express his dislike of the idea of MC making him food or even acknowledging his existence - and had said some pretty mean things along the way.

Sitting up, he scooted to the edge of the bed while holding the blanket to his chest - he had taken off his binder but hadn’t put on his night clothes yet - extending his hand. “Thanks,” he said hoarsely when Luciel dropped it into his palm, glancing at it to see he had a screenful of notifications, mostly from Tripter. Swiping a finger to unlock it, he tried to seem oblivious to Luciel’s retreating form, noticing he had a few new texts as well. He opened the text screen and the first thing he saw slammed a weight onto his chest.

 

_Unknown [21:11] Don’t think you’ve escaped so easily._

_Unknown [21:11] We know it wasn’t your ex that took the kids._

_Unknown [21:13] Don’t believe they’re safe from us anywhere. I can get past any security._

_Unknown [21:14] We will get them back, and you’ll never see them again._

_Unknown [21:16] Even the great Jumin Han doesn’t have enough money to protect them from us._

 

The phone clattered to the floor and he clutched his chest, wheezing as his breathing became constricted. Dull pain rippled through him with each breath and the room started to spin, his limbs shaking in pure terror. The sound of his heart beating drummed out any surrounding noise, and he squeezed his eyes closed, moving one hand to cover them as he tried desperately to ground himself. He heard Luciel’s muted exclamation before feeling hands on his shoulders, followed by a much slower, calmer string of muffled words. He tried to focus on what the man was saying but was unable to understand him, scratching at his throat as it became even harder to breathe. The hands lifted off of his shoulders but were not gone long, returning to place something over them. He allowed Luciel to maneuver his arms up and through some sleeves, his own mind too caught up with cataclysmic images of the Mint Eye storming Jumin’s penthouse to care what was happening. The trembling spread throughout his body and he clawed at his arms, trying to ease the burning sensation that felt like it was skittering along his skin.

There was a tugging on his hands and at first he resisted, eyes still closed and not sure what was doing it. A voice mumbled incomprehensibly by his ear and he registered it as Luciel’s, relaxing a bit and allowing his arms to be repositioned away from where he had been scratching, furrowing his eyebrows when he felt fingers intertwining with his own. He flinched when something pressed against his forehead, surprise intermingling with his fear when he felt warm breath fanning across his chin. The mumbling continued and he focused on it, trying to match the pace of Luciel’s breaths while rubbing his thumbs across the warm skin of his fingers to help draw his attention out of his mind.

Gradually he felt the weight lifting off his chest and the words being spoken became clearer; “breathe, just breathe. We’ll get through this, I won’t let anything happen to them. Breathe. In. Out. Keep breathing. Good. We’ll get through this.” Luciel’s voice was slightly deeper than his normal baritone but every bit as calm and soothing to him as it usually was. He slitted open his eyes and his breath caught when he saw just how _close_ they were; their noses were almost touching, and all he’d have to do to press their lips together would be to tilt his head up just the smallest fraction. The sound caught Luciel’s attention and he opened his eyes, their golden hue filled with a familiar warmth as well as concern. They stayed like that for a moment, MC’s heart pounding in his chest for a different reason than earlier before Luciel pulled back, releasing one hand to reach up and push back some of the hair that had fallen forward into MC’s eyes. He tucked it behind his ear, his hand lingering on MC’s skin on the way down to brush the top of his neck. MC shivered, eyebrows drawn in confusion.

Letting out a sigh, Luciel retracted both of his hands and stood from the crouching position he’d been sitting in, moving instead to sit on the bed next to MC. The mattress dipped with his weight and he placed an arm around MC’s shoulders, pulling him closer and tucking him into his side. The garment Luciel had placed upon him slid up to slightly choke him at the movement, and he finally glanced down to see what he was wearing while tugging at it. He must’ve dropped the blanket during his breakdown, causing Luciel to place the first thing available on him for dignity’s sake - his own jacket. Luciel was taller and a little more broad in the shoulders, but MC’s chest made up for the width. The sleeves hung almost comically long, his hands lost in the extra fabric. He suspected that if he stood, the bottom would hang somewhere around his mid-thigh. Unzipping it a little, he buried his head into Luciel’s shoulder, inhaling the familiar scent, a combination of Honey Buddha Chips, Ph.D. Pepper and a smell he could only describe as “Luciel.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, not having meant to show such weakness in front of Luciel, especially after he’d made it clear he wanted to place some distance between them. Yet his recent actions were rather... contradictory. He didn’t _have_ to help MC through his panic attack and yet he had; more confusing still was the fact that he was still there _and_ holding him. MC didn’t mind the contact, but he was a little wary of his friend’s hot-and-cold tendencies of late.

“Shh,” Luciel whispered, squeezing him a little closer. “You have nothing to apologize for, MC. We’ll get through this. I swear on my life, nothing will happen to Tai or Li. Whatever it takes, whatever I have to do, _I will keep them safe._ ”

MC believed him. There was not a doubt in his mind that Luciel would do everything within his power to keep them safe. The question was: would it be enough? Especially against someone who obviously had very personal reasons for hating him and for being so invested in bringing down the RFA?

“I know. I trust you.” The words slipped out without him thinking, but once they were there, hanging in the air, he didn’t regret them. Luciel stiffened at his side, and MC looked over to see him running a hand through his wild red hair, his eyes closed with a pained expression on his face.

Luciel let out a sigh, removing his arm from around MC’s shoulders and standing as he stared up at the ceiling. “That’s your problem. You trust too easily,” he said, his hand disappearing into his pocket to retrieve his phone. Bringing it up to his face, he pushed his glasses up his nose before starting to type into it, his fingers moving impossibly fast across the small screen. “You shouldn’t give away your trust to just anyone,” he continued, squinting at the screen with a frown. “Especially not to me. I’m not worthy of it.”

“Don’t say that!” Frustrated, MC wrapped his fingers around Luciel’s arm, earning him a surprised look from the hacker. Gently pulling him so that he could see him better, MC took a deep breath before continuing. “Look, I get it. You live a dangerous life, so you think it’s better to push me away. But shouldn’t I get a say in that, too? After all you’ve done for me, how you’ve been there for me up to and including _rescuing my children from a deranged cult,_ I think I have the right to decide whether or not I can trust you!” Luciel’s eyes were wide now and his mouth was slightly open as he stared down at MC, disbelief etched into his features. MC mustered up enough hurt to give Luciel the iciest glare he could manage, slightly gratified when it earned him a rather obvious flinch. “I don’t think you understand how important you are to me. Outside of my children, you were the only thing keeping me going throughout all of this shit. Damnit, Luciel, I’m not asking for marriage; I just want you to remain in my life!”

“Then you’ll _always_ be in danger!” Luciel argued, prying MC’s hand off of his arm and thrusting his phone back into his pocket aggressively. “You _and_ your children. I am not a safe person to be around. I am _dangerous._ My work is _dangerous._ I don’t think _you_ understand _that!”_ His volume increased and he started to pace, thumbing his nose before both hands went into his jeans pockets. “It’s my fault you’re in this mess to begin with. Because _I_ made a mistake and trusted the wrong person, and now my brother is using you to hurt us! And that’s not to mention what the agency will do to me if they find me. God, you’re so naive. Did you think something was possible between us? None of it was _real._ It’s all part of a life that could never truly exist for me. One day I’ll disappear and every trace of my existence will be wiped from the earth. My house, my cars, my connections to the RFA, _everything!_ Is that the kind of life you want?”

MC stood, the jacket billowing out at the sudden movement before settling down to cover most of his thighs. Luciel paused at the action, red tinting his cheeks before he averted his eyes and resumed his pacing. “It’s not the life _you_ want either, and I can see that. So quit. Get out of it. You need to run? Fine. We can run together. Just like you, I have someone I’m always trying to stay one step ahead of. You’re right, I don’t know what it’s like to be a secret agent.” He stepped in Luciel’s path, clenching his fists as he stared up at the aggravated man in front of him. Luciel’s face was guarded, the only emotion present was the anger burning in his eyes. “But I _do_ know what it’s like to run for my life, to have to look over my shoulder. And I know what that’s like with _two innocent little children in tow because their father somehow manages to slip through the law and he has threatened to kill all of us!_ Because _I_ left! So you want to talk about the kind of life I want? _Anything_ has to be better than the never-ending **hell** I seem to have landed us in!” He was yelling, he knew, but he didn’t care. He was just so _angry_ that Luciel was willing to toss him to the side because he thought his life would be made worse by having him in it. He fisted his hands into his hair and yanked, hard, trying to keep from screaming. He was running on emotional overload at this point, too much happening in a short time for him to cope with successfully.

“So what, it’ll be all sunshine and daisies when we run off into the sunset together? You don’t even _know_ me.” Luciel’s voice had gone flat and he had turned away, arms folded across his chest. MC’s brow furrowed at the accusation and he opened his mouth to respond when Luciel continued, “all you know is the 707 from the chat room. The fun, silly, carefree me. _That’s_ who you know. _That’s_ who you like. And that’s not me.”

Throwing his hands up in the air, MC let out a noise of frustration. “Oh for god’s sake, Luciel, did you think that I was stupid enough to believe you only had that one side to you? I’ve seen your serious side too in small spurts, and I know you can be a real asshole when you want, like right now.” Luciel swung his gaze over to MC, sneering but not saying anything. MC walked up to him and jabbed a finger in his chest, standing on his toes to get right up into his face. “I know _enough_ to know that I want to know more. To know that I want to get to know everything about you, all the good and the bad and the dark secrets you’re afraid to tell anyone. I know that despite what you think, you’re not a bad person and that my _daughter_ loved you and she doesn’t like _any_ men. I know what my gut tells me and what my brain tells me. I know what my _heart_ tells me, and all three are agreeing for the first time in a _very_ long time so for fuck’s sake, Luciel, _let me in!”_

The sneer had been replaced by another blank look as Luciel regarded MC. MC was shaking in his anger, his cheeks were red and he was breathing heavily, but there was still fire in his eyes and he had no intention of backing down. Luciel’s hand brushed the finger off of his chest but he didn’t move away, pulling out his phone when it buzzed, reading and responding to whatever had appeared on the screen. MC waited, though he was hardly patient about it; the silence hung heavily in the air and was louder than anything that had been said between them. He wasn’t sure how long he could wait before he simply exploded, but he assumed that Luciel wasn’t ignoring him in the middle of an argument for some simple chitchat. He was right.

“Jumin’s bringing in some extra guards and both he and Jaehee will be staying full-time at the penthouse for now. I’ll be hacking into the security system to make it tighter and much more difficult for Saeran to mess with,” Luciel said quietly as he slipped the phone back into his pocket once more. He met MC’s eyes and let out a long sigh, tugging at the headphone cord dangling from around his neck. “I get what you’re saying. I really do. But what would you do if something happened to you because of me? Or worse, what if something happened to your children?”

That stumped him. MC knew how he would’ve responded to the first question, but the second was infinitely harder. He chewed on the inside of his lip as he thought, trying to decipher the complicated feelings arising within him.

Huffing softly, Luciel shook his head. “I thought so,” he said quietly, his voice heavy with regret as he stepped around MC to leave the room. MC listened the padding of his feet as he thought, whipping around to wrap his arms around Luciel’s body at the last second. Luciel froze, going completely rigid as MC pressed his face into his back.

“I don’t know,” he replied honestly, his voice muffled by the grey tanktop that Luciel was wearing. Whether it was from the contact or something else, he couldn’t be sure, but he felt a shiver run down the man as he spoke. “I could handle whatever came my way, but I can’t give you a definitive answer about my children. But Luciel… I’m willing to take on whatever baggage you have, to risk any danger you may present to them, as long as you can keep them safe from John.” He tightened his hold, blinking back the tears that were forming. “If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that they don’t deserve to live in constant fear of him. And I’m not… I’m not enough. To keep them safe. But you are.” Lifting his head up, he sniffed quietly and looked up at the back of Luciel’s head, wondering what expression he had on at the moment. “You’re enough. And they like you; Tai asks about you every time I see him and Li lights up and looks around for you whenever you’re mentioned. And that’s not even considering how I feel about you.” He released him, bringing an arm up to dab at his eyes with the sleeve of the jacket. He wondered if he was making any headway in this argument at all, or if this was a case of the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object.

Luciel was silent a moment, unmoving from the spot even after MC had released him. MC dropped his eyes to the side, bringing a hand up to his forehead in defeat when suddenly Luciel cleared his throat and started fidgeting nervously. “And uh… just how… do you feel about me?” he whispered, barely audible.

MC swallowed as his mouth became inexplicably dry, worrying his lip as he worked up the courage to speak again. It had been easy to bring it up without even considering where it would lead to before when he was in the heat of the moment, but now he was being called out on it… something he hadn’t ever expected. “I, um…” he started unhelpfully, suddenly at a loss for words. _C’mon, you can do this,_ he thought, trying to give himself a pep talk. _Just tell him. It’s three words and eight letters. That’s not much, right? Just spit it out._ He rubbed the nape of his neck as he felt heat spreading across his cheeks, sucking in a large breath before blurting out, “I love you.”

Silence again. The rubbing turned to scratching as he prepared himself for even more rejection and he shut his eyes tightly. Small lights danced on the back of his eyelids while the room felt like it was deafeningly loud, both of them breathing so shallowly that it couldn’t be heard. With every passing second he felt his heart breaking, all hope of having Luciel in his future draining away.

There was a sudden intake of breath and the sound of fabric rubbing together before he felt the touch of chapped lips to his own and he froze in disbelief, shock vibrating around his mind. _Is this… is this real?_ he wondered, daring to return the kiss by pressing a little firmer back. MC shuddered when he heard Luciel give a small groan, his heart rate increasing as it started to sink in that yes, this was really happening.

He felt arms wrap around him and Luciel pulled him in close, breaking the kiss to dig his nose into MC’s neck, just holding him. Wide-eyed and breathless, MC slid his arms around Luciel’s waist, his mind racing to comprehend what had just occurred between them.

“I… I’m going to need some time,” came the quiet voice, followed by a small kiss on his neck. “I need to think about some things, but… God willing, I’ll always have you three in my heart.”

A smile spread slowly across MC’s face at the words and he clung a little tighter to Luciel, excitement welling up inside of him. “Take all the time you need. I’ll wait,” he said softly, shivering when another kiss was placed just below his ear. “Just… don’t push me away, alright?”

He was rewarded with a small chuckle, Luciel drawing back to look at him with wet eyes. “Never again,” he promised, his voice warm as he brushed the back of his fingers across MC’s cheek. His smile was full of wonder as he leaned back down to plant another small kiss on MC’s lips before drawing away, nodding at the bed. “You should try to get some rest. I’m gonna go see if I can find out where Saeran is hiding. If I figure that out, then I can go straight to the source of this problem and hopefully fix it.”

“Okay, I’ll try,” MC agreed, backing up toward the bed. “Do you, uh… want your jacket back?”

A blush rivaling his hair spread across Luciel's face, his eyes gleaming wickedly as they traveled slowly down MC’s body and then back up. “Nah. It looks good on you,” he replied with a wink, turning around to head toward the doorway. He paused right before exiting, throwing a smirk over his shoulder as he said, “but I think I’ll like it better on the floor.” MC watched his retreating back, eyes wide and face flaming red as well. Apparently Luciel was just full of surprises tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm trying to vaguely follow the storyline while also not 100% repeating canon... I reference it quite obviously but I am trying to make up my own dialogue. Obviously there's differences solely due to children being involved but there's a fine line I'm walking here, lol. Feel free to let me know if you think I'm just repeating the game.


	16. Off to Jumin's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MC and Luciel leave the apartment to help secure the penthouse.

“So you’re 100% sure that it’s fine for me to walk out of here?” MC was digging through her suitcase, pulling out some fresh clothes for the day while Luciel was busy packing up his computer stuff again. When she had woken up, he had cheerfully greeted her with some rather odd-shaped pancakes, apologizing for his behavior the night prior and then explaining his new plan to her.

Tossing her phone to her, he flashed her a confident smile, waving a hand carelessly in her direction. “Hey, what happened to that trust you were so boldly confessing last night?” he teased, zipping a bag shut. “Have some faith in the great 707~ I'll be your knight in shining armor~” Puffing his chest out, he stood tall with his hands on his hips, a valiant look upon his face. Turning his head to see her, he graced her with a lopsided smile and an obnoxious wink, still holding the position.

“Mhmm,” she hummed, shaking her head while she shot Jaehee a quick text to let her know they'd leave shortly. “I’m not sure being a knight is the best job for you, O Great One.” Slipping the phone into her pocket, she pulled out a new shirt and jeans, tossing him a smirk over her shoulder. “You might be a little more suited as… oh, the court jester, probably.”

“My lady, how could you!” Eyes fluttering closed, he held a hand over his heart and one to his forehead as he gave a quiet gasp, flopping down onto the chair behind him with a forlorn look on his face. “Thy words are like a dagger through my heart~” He inhaled loudly, dejection settling everywhere throughout his body except for his eyes; they were twinkling in good humor. “Will you at least grace me with your healing presence?”

Stopping midway to the hallway, MC paused and pretended to think about it. She tapped a finger on her chin and narrowed her eyes at him, drawing out the silence longer than was necessary before answering with a short “nah.” Turning around, she resumed her journey to her bedroom to change.

“Aw, c’mon babe, don't be like that!” She smiled at his whiny tone, knowing full well that he was still teasing. The personality that she had seen from him today was more similar to the one she was used to, albeit a bit more serious and far more open. He had opened himself up to questions earlier in the day, answering a few before she inquired about Saeran. In an instant he'd shut down that particular subject, claiming he wasn't quite ready to talk about it yet but promising that he would explain everything, in time. She understood needing time to talk about traumatic (assuming that was the case, and judging from his reaction, she had a feeling it was) events and had no intention of rushing it. She was happy enough with him accepting her as she was, even if that _did_ take a little pushing.

After changing she rolled her dirty clothes into a ball, walking back out into the living room to stuff them into a bag. Noting that it looked a little more rumpled than when she left it, she turned a curious gaze over to where Luciel was sitting innocently in his corner and she immediately doubled over in laughter, tears gleaming in her eyes as she regarded him.

“What?” he asked, fluttering his eyelashes at her from beneath the dark brown hair of her wig, the long bangs hanging over his glasses to partially obscure his eyes. “I thought I looked rather dashing, myself.” Bringing his fingers to his mouth, he blew her a kiss and waved flirtatiously at her, standing up and twirling around once, the longer layers on the back of the wig barely brushing the nape of his neck before he struck a pose, one hand behind his head and one on his hip. “Aren't I gorgeous, babe?”

Letting out a whistle, MC gave him two thumbs up as she continued giggling at his attire. While she had been in her room, he had somehow managed time to dig through her clothes, select a shirt and a skirt and put them on as well as her wig. The shirt was one that was long enough on her to pair with leggings, a black off-one-shoulder number with a silver tiger on it. But while it came down to mid thigh on her, it just barely met the hemline of the dark red skirt he had paired it with. That was _definitely_ too short for him, scarcely long enough to cover the bottom of his boxers. Yet it worked oddly well on him, causing an idea to present itself in her mind.

Lifting up a finger as she tried to tamp down her laughter, she took a deep breath through her nose and bit her bottom lip, doing all she could to shove the mirth aside to make room for seriousness. If that would even be possible with what she was about to suggest.

“Luciel,” she said breathlessly, a giggle breaking free after his name. She shook her head, managing to stop the giggle but the smile remained as she looked back at him, still posing for her shamelessly. “You said the agency is out looking for you. Maybe you should… I dunno, wear that to Jumin’s? They won’t be looking for you dressed like that, after all, and-” She didn’t get the chance to finish, for Luciel hurdled over his items to bound enthusiastically to her side.

“You’re serious? You’ll let me wear your clothes?” His excitement was nearly palpable as he bounced on the balls of his feet, golden eyes wide and hopeful. He reminded her of a puppy like this, metaphorical tail wagging happily when asked to go on a walk. Which was not too far off from what they were actually going to do, just add in finding the limo waiting for them while Luciel walked down the street wearing things just the slightest bit too small for him.

Nodding, she crouched down to dig in the bag once more before pulling out two more items to thrust them at him, smirking when his face turned beet red as long fingers gripped the bra awkwardly. “If you’re gonna do this, better do it right,” she laughed, one eyebrow raising as he stared at the bra, apparently gone mute momentarily. “What, never seen a bra before? They’re lovely, really, help support my girls and can make them look bigger, if needed. In your case, I think it’ll just help give the appearance of _having_ boobs. Just gotta find something to stuff in them…” Dropping to her knees, she started digging through her bag again.

“You're not satisfied with my womanly bosom?” It seemed he had recovered and was back to joking, and she heard him slip off the shirt and start fiddling with the bra, muttering under his breath at his inability to hook it. Laughing, she stood up, waving his hands away from the clasps to deposit two pairs of socks into them. She slipped around behind him, expertly hooking it on the loosest setting (he was a bit broader than her, after all) before coming back around, taking one of the socks and folding it carefully. Stepping closer to him, she slid the sock into the padded cup before grabbing another, doing the same to the other side. Giving both sides a cursory glance and poke, she opted to repeat the process with the second pair of socks. After a couple of adjustments she was satisfied and motioned for him to put the shirt back on. He obeyed, and she nodded when she saw how her handiwork looked. It may have only worked to give the illusion of very small breasts, but at least it helped him pass as a woman at a glance.

“Now put those on.” She pointed at the leggings she had also given him, intending for them to cover up his boxers. “They’re meant to be tight, FYI, and you may need to fiddle with your boxers somehow, because you don’t want lines showing from them.” She had chosen a pair of her black capri leggings, assuming they’d fall roughly below his knee and could pass for a cropped pair. Wordlessly, she offered her make-up case and he reached out and snatched it without hesitation.

Grinning cheekily, he started skipping to the bathroom as he sang out “or I could just not wear them~” It was her turn to blush at the thought of him wearing nothing under her leggings. It didn't take him nearly as long as she’d expected before he was back, holding his boxers in the air with the black pants stretched over his legs - and yes, she had been right. They ended right below the knee. Skipping past her in glee, Luciel shoved his boxers into a pocket on one of his cases, humming contentedly as she shook her head and closed her suitcase back up. He had done a nice job with makeup, too - accenting his eyes and bringing out certain features that made him look feminine, and she found herself jealous of his skills.

They left the apartment when ready, Luciel swamped under his multiple duffle bags/computer cases, while MC only had one suitcase that was on wheels and her purse stacked on top of it. They made a funny pair, walking down the street like that, with Luciel waving cheerfully at anybody who glanced at them. “You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?” she asked with amusement, giggling when he blew a kiss at a group of men who were staring at them. He hummed in response and she wished she had his confidence in her own skin; hell, it’d just be nice to wake up feeling okay about herself for a change.

The walk to the building where Jumin’s limo was waiting didn’t take as long as she had remembered from last time, probably due to the amount of fun she had walking by Luciel’s side. The driver was hesitant to let him in, at first, since he didn’t exactly match the description that Jumin had given him for his guests. After a phone call and an explanation that involved not nearly enough laughter for MC’s taste, the both of them were ushered in and they were taken to Jumin’s building.

The lack of hesitation from the guards inside was most likely a sign that Jumin had relayed the message that MC was showing up with a female friend, and Luciel flirted ceaselessly with every single one they passed. Which was a lot. MC watched him walk and talk with more feminine charm than she’d ever managed to exude herself, forcing herself to tamp down some unwarranted jealousy. Being a secret agent he most likely had to learn how to act in ways she never could simply to survive, and that was hardly something to be jealous about. Besides, if anyone deserved to have some fun right now, it was him. He’d been working so hard lately and had been trying to cut off his ties with anyone around him, out of fear of hurting them or putting them in danger. Yes, he deserved this.

“Hey,” she said as they rode the elevator up to the topmost floor, drawing his attention away from his newest victim. “We should take a picture before you change and send it to Zen. Bet he’d fall for it again~” She gave him a roguish grin, whipping out her phone. He immediately fell into place at her side, and the two of them smiled innocently into the camera, taking a rather cute picture. “Perfect~” she sang, uploading it onto the RFA server and making it her profile picture. It was less suspicious that way and would most likely make him ask without any prompting, curious to know who the cute brunette at her side was. Oh, there was certainly fun to be had with that.

Jaehee was the one who opened the door when they knocked, her hair more messy than usual and her glasses sitting crookedly on her nose. MC’s eyebrows raised at the sight, guilt welling up inside of her at the frazzled-looking woman in front of her. Had dealing with the kids really been that bad…?

Glancing in only mild surprise at a beaming Luciel, Jaehee stepped back and ushered them inside, closing the door behind them before motioning toward the living room where a burst of contagious laughter could be heard. MC immediately recognized it as Tai’s, a smile crossing her face instantly as she hurried out of her shoes. Another voice joined in, lower and more restrained, but nonetheless laughing. Exchanging a look of disbelief with Luciel, MC made her way in the direction of the sound, entering the room to find Jumin and Tai sitting together on the floor - _coloring?_ She ground to a halt, mouth falling slightly open as she looked at the grown man in a business suit, holding a crayon in his hand as he carefully outlined a picture of Jupiter, every movement very precise and purposeful. Tai’s back was to her so she couldn’t see exactly what he was doing, but she was willing to bet that he was emulating Jumin to the best of his ability; it had taken him until the age of four to have any real interest in coloring because of his desire to be perfect immediately and how he would become very frustrated when he wasn’t. He was probably downright thrilled to have someone like Jumin playing with him.

“Mom mom!” MC stumbled slightly as a body plowed into her legs, arms wrapping around her calves to squeeze tightly before releasing her to be thrust in the air. “Up, up!” Li squealed, bouncing on her toes as best as her little body could manage, and MC reached down to pick her up, chuckling when a little head collided with her chest in an ecstatic hug.

“Hello, baby girl,” she murmured, placing a kiss on top of her head and rubbing her back gently. “I missed you.” Bright eyes looked up at her and lips formed into an open-mouthed grin as Li giggled happily at her, tiny hands playing across her shirt as she garbled happily.

Tai whipped around with his brown eyes wide, scrambling to get to his feet when he saw MC standing there. “Mom!” he shouted, socked feet slipping on the hardwood floor in his excitement. Flinging himself at her, he ended up falling to his knees while clinging to her calves, laughing as he climbed back to his feet.

MC shifted Li so that she was on a hip, preparing to lean down and pull Tai up onto her other side when Li squealed, pitching herself to one side so hard that MC nearly dropped her. “Whoa, baby!” MC quickly followed, her other arm grabbing onto the girl’s back to keep her upright, following her chubby finger pointing right at Luciel.

“Sethseth,” she cried, trying again to leap into his arms. Luciel’s eyebrows furrowed as he regarded her, stepping closer as she stretched out further toward him.

MC couldn’t help the smile that crossed her face as she turned, handing off the wiggling toddler to the confused man. Tai immediately jumped into her arms, clasping his hands behind her neck and planting a kiss on her lips. “Mommy, I missed yo-hu!”

She laughed, squeezing him in a hug that he enthusiastically returned, turning her eyes to Luciel who was watching Li poke at the tiger on his shirt in amusement. “Sethseth is how she says Seven,” she explained, setting back down the boy who was now pushing her away. He bolted over to Luciel as well, wrapping himself around his legs.

“Well if it isn’t the coolest boy in the world~ Hi, there, little man,” Luciel said, offering him a high-five. Tai responded quickly, slapping their hands together and cheering at the sound that reverberated through the room. “But uh- how did you recognize me?” Luciel was obviously trying to hide mild alarm at being recognized through his disguise by the children, and while it seemed to pass for the others, MC saw right through him.

Tai shrugged and let go, skipping back over to where Jumin was still sitting, watching them with a blank face. “You don't look _that_ different, Seven,” he chirped, jumping and landing with a dull thud next to Jumin. “I've gotta finish coloring with Mr. Han now, sorry!” Picking up a blue crayon, he leaned forward, immediately immersed in his activity again.

Lifting a shoulder in a shrug, MC toyed with the small pigtails on the back of Li's head. “They're used to me switching between genders so I guess that made it easier identify you? I dunno, just a guess.” Li was chanting “sethsethseth” over and over again, starting to play with the wig, pointing back at MC before patting him on the head gently. “See? I told you they like you,” she said, watching the stress melt from Luciel’s face as Li babbled at him, now tracing the rims of his glasses.

Jaehee appeared from the bathroom, hair and glasses fixed and wearing a suit. “Mr. Han, are you ready?” she asked as she glanced at Jumin, who was busy trying to explain to Tai how to be as exact as him with the crayon. He held up a hand to her to indicate he needed another moment, and she sighed, pulling out her phone in response. MC and Luciel rolled their eyes at each other; the moment Jaehee had heard they were planning to come here so that Luciel could work on the security directly, she had talked Jumin into heading into the office for as long as they could be there. At this point, if they hurried, they’d make it by 10, so most of their meetings could remain as scheduled. Today was the big day of the cat hotel presentation and Jumin had readily agreed to going in solely for that in particular.

“Jaehee,” MC started, approaching her so that she could speak in a quiet enough voice that the kids wouldn’t hear. “Were they… were they bad for you?” Concern was etched into every line on her face as she furrowed her eyebrows, bracing herself for bad news. New situations were nerve-wracking enough for neurotypical children, but her son sometimes took things to the extreme - especially with her not there. It _seemed_ that he had been getting along splendidly with Jumin, but with how Jaehee had looked when they showed up, she wasn’t going to assume anything.

Jaehee started slightly at the question, gazing at MC in bemusement. “No, they have been absolutely wonderful. Li is such a sweetheart and Tai listens to everything Jumin says without question. Why do you ask?”

Relaxing a bit, MC let out a small puff of air and ran a hand through her air. “I just… well, when we showed up, you looked so _relieved_ , so I thought maybe-”

“Oh no, it was nothing like that!” Jaehee interrupted her, waving both hands in front of her. “I mean, I was relieved but not because of them. We just have so much work at the office to do. It’s such a relief to be able to get some of it done.” They both looked to the side when a movement caught their eyes; Jumin was finally up off the floor, brushing his suit off while watching Tai with a look that could only be described as fond on his face. Jaehee let out a soft laugh, leaning in closer to MC. “You know, I never thought I’d see the day that Mr. Han would look at _anyone_ like that, especially not a young child. Your son is… quite unique, and they seem to have bonded fast.”

MC smiled, nodding slowly while Tai jumped to his feet, protesting the idea of Jumin leaving. “Yes… he is different, but perhaps in a way that Jumin can relate to. Very smart, not the best socially or with emotions? It makes sense that they’d get along.” Jaehee agreed and they both quieted as Jumin approached, Jaehee handing him his briefcase when he stopped in front of them.

“We shall be back as soon as we can be spared,” Jumin said, more to Tai than to MC, it seemed. Tai had followed him over and was tugging on his sleeve, frowning up at him in sadness. “Why don’t you work on reading while I’m gone, and if you make satisfactory improvement then we can do an activity of your choice after dinner tonight?” MC raised her eyebrows at the formal language he used with the young boy, something she knew Tai wasn’t used to. It was obvious that he understood well enough by his nod and the way he skipped off toward a pile of beginner books, and she thought that the glint in his eye might even mean that he enjoyed it. “Your son is highly intelligent. I certainly did not expect someone so young to know so much. Is this typical of his age?” Jumin asked, turning to face MC. Even though his voice remained as flat as always, it was obvious that something had lit the fire of curiosity within him - maybe more than that, but only time would tell.

She shook her head, watching the young boy plop down on the couch with a book about -suprise, surprise - space and start to work on it, finger on the page with his mouth silently sounding out the words. “No. He’s… inclined to learning things at a fast rate,” she said cautiously, not entirely certain how to phrase things with someone who seemed similar to Tai. She didn’t want to offend him, especially not when he’d done so much for her. Her explanation seemed to satisfy him as he nodded, glancing over his shoulder at the boy once more before turning to leave.

“Hope your day goes well,” he said in farewell, walking past Luciel and Li with only a small nod in their direction, Jaehee tailing close behind. She paused to say goodbye to Li and was rewarded with a sloppy kiss, leaving her laughing as she strolled out the door. Soon it was just the four of them, Luciel still holding Li while she snuggled into him.

MC turned her gaze to him as he held her close, his chin on her head and his hand stroking her back. “You know, beautiful girl, I can’t get everything set up if you keep cuddling me like this.” She let out a small giggle, her little arms wrapping around his neck and pulling herself even closer. The smile on his face was so pure, filled with warmth and happiness that MC felt herself falling even deeper into the rabbit hole that was Luciel Choi.

Approaching them, she slid a finger under Li’s arm up to her armpit, wiggling it around to tickle her. Li squirmed and giggled again, batting away the finger with a chorus of “no mommy” while trying to scoot away. Smiling, MC leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek, murmuring quietly, “you know, I bet that if you let Seven put his computers up, he’ll let you sit in his lap and watch as long as you don’t get in his way.”

“Really?” The little girl straightened up and looked between MC and Luciel, a large, toothy grin on her face. Luciel nodded his agreement to the idea, and Li bossily said “down!” to which he complied. She toddled off quickly to where a baby doll was lying abandoned on the floor, both adults watching her with goofy smiles on their faces.

“Well, you better get to work before she thinks you’re gonna change your mind,” MC said, jabbing him in the side gently. “She’s a force to be reckoned with when she’s angry.” Her eyes traveled over to Tai, still on the couch, deciding that she was going to go see what he could do. Reading was a new skill, something he had expressed interest in when they were still together but was unwilling to do the work to learn it. She definitely was going to see how far he had come in the past few months, curious about if it was something he learned at the Mint Eye or if it was another quickly learned thing once he put his mind to it with Jumin.

“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, eh?” Luciel joked, golden eyes bright as he grabbed his bags and started hauling them over to a corner of the room. Sitting them on a small table that was placed there, he pulled his laptop out before turning back to MC. “Thank you… for pushing past my stubbornness. I don’t know how I’ll ever make it up to you… but I promise, I’ll try my best.”

MC laughed, striding over to him and planting a kiss on his lips, prompting a small jealous squeal from Li who ran over to her and started demanding kisses of her own. She picked her up, kissing her as well until the little girl was satisfied and pushed off, this time standing next to MC and watching in fascination as Luciel continued to set up all of his equipment. “Well, you can start by taking a few breaks here and there to spend some time with us,” she said, half kidding. She knew his work was very important, imperative to the safety of her and her children right now, but that didn’t keep her from wanting to spend as much time as possible with him.

“Anything for my girls,” he answered, eyes sparkling. Sitting down, he gestured to Li who climbed happily up into his lap, leaving MC staring wide-eyed at them as he hummed, working to connect wires and boot things up, Li trying to hum along with him. Shaking her head with a smile on her face, she turned and headed over to Tai. Only time would tell if that had been a promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I really wish I had a good excuse for how long it took me to write this, but alas, I don't. It was part procrastination, part the fact that November ended and I guess that made me lazy. So... apologies, I'll try to be better, but if not, all I can say is ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ I'm trying.
> 
> Also - I asked my own 2yo daughter to say Seven, and that is how she said it. No manner of prompting could get her to say anything other than "sethseth." No idea why... but hey, it works well enough. :)


	17. The Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just spending some time with MC and Luciel before a visitor shows up to interrupt them. :)

“How late do you plan to stay up?” MC was sitting on the couch in her pajamas, head cocked to the side as she watched Luciel typing madly into his computer. She'd long since put the kids to bed, taking her time with reading and singing to them before giving each a long squeeze and a kiss on their forehead. What had once been monotonous was now a treasure to her; after such a lengthy (and unwanted) separation, she was looking forward to every mundane act of parenting she'd once taken for granted.

She had received a call from Jaehee only moments after closing the door to their room, her friend bursting at the seams with excitement and relief about how well the cat hotel presentation had went. Even though a few things were changed or added from Jumin's original proposal, he'd been satisfied and their client had been downright thrilled and signed on immediately. It was gratifying to know that she had been able to help her friend, even if she only played a minor role in it; she made a mental note to offer to help out more in the future if Jaehee was ever overwhelmed again.

Luciel had been hard at work since they arrived, only taking a few breaks when requested by the kids. Li had dutifully sat on his lap most of her time awake, mesmerized by all the different patterns appearing on the screen in front of her and humming, her little hands playing with the strings of his jacket. The scene had made MC’s heart grow to the point of bursting with love; she’d never seen her daughter so comfortable and _happy_ with a man before, and it gave her confidence that she was making the right decision by choosing to follow him. The prospect of a relationship in and of itself was downright scary after her last one, but she hadn’t been aware of her growing feelings until she was already in so deep that it was hard to think of anything else. She was frightened, but not of him. He made her feel safe, secure. It would be a lie to say he completed her because she knew from experience that she had to be a whole person on her own, but he certainly helped her hold her precariously glued pieces together.

When both his and Jumin’s presence had been begged for at bedtime, he had seemed confused but had come along anyway. By request, he had told a silly story involving a dashing redheaded hero in space that had Tai hanging on the edge of every word, clapping happily when the hero saved his brother from certain doom. MC watched him closely out of the corner of her eyes while he told it, fairly certain it was a story based on the current situation and the ending he hoped to achieve. Since then, he’d been quiet in his corner, the only sound the click-clack of his fingers on the keyboard and an occasional mutter under his breath.

He paused in his movements at her question, and she worried at her lip as she watched his back. She couldn’t help feeling like he was still hiding away a lot of his feelings; whether by habit or choice, she wasn’t sure, but she wanted him to talk to her rather than let it all stew. Part of the advantage to allowing someone into your life was the ability to get things that are bothering you off your chest, something she knew he needed to learn to take advantage of. Too many years of living alone and hiding away his true self had already taken its toll on him, and she didn’t intend to let the trend continue unchallenged.

Sighing, he turned his head to speak over his shoulder at her. “As long as it take for me to feel certain this place is safe. I don’t want to take any chances for their safety. Or yours. If it takes me all night, I’ll make sure this place’s security system is impenetrable.” His typing resumed immediately when he finished speaking, the music on his headphones quietly wafting her way from where they sat on his shoulders.

She frowned as she considered him. On the one hand, it was true that a direct threat had been made to her about her children’s safety here and thus it needed to be reinforced, but on the other, he was going to work himself into the ground at this rate. Their safety was important, yes, but so was his health. Surely a short break wouldn’t hurt?

Sitting down the cup of lukewarm tea she’d been nursing for a while, she scooted to the edge of the couch before standing up, pushing her still-damp hair out of her eyes before walking the short distance to him. She gently placed her hands on his shoulders, feeling him stiffen at the unexpected touch before relaxing again; he was obviously still getting used to the idea of allowing someone to be so close to him. Squeezing softly, she felt just how tense he was; the poor boy’s muscles felt like stone. So she started rubbing circles to help him loosen up, beginning at the top of his shoulders and working down to just beneath the scapula, where the chair began to hinder her. Slowly she worked, going up and down, changing from circles to pushing with her thumbs or knuckles, kneading in the way she’d been shown back when she still wanted to please John. Luciel let out a groan, his hands going limp on the keyboard and his head lolling forward as she worked at him, meticulously doing her best to relax each muscle. Eventually she moved up to his neck, lightening her touch slightly knowing that the area was far more sensitive to pain, giving it the same tender treatment before sliding her hands into his hair.

 _It’s so soft._ For a man who claimed he didn't take very good care of himself, he sure had some amazing feeling hair. She felt the red strands run through her fingers like silk as she massaged his scalp, shivering at the small moan that fell from his lips. Right when she was about to stop, she entwined her fingers in a few strands, giving them a soft tug and then letting her hands fall back to rest on his shoulders. It was then she noticed that his breathing was actually a little heavier and slower than normal and that his hands had slid down onto his lap, and she smiled; he actually sounded like he was about to fall asleep right then and there.

Leaning down, she pressed a kiss to his cheek before setting her chin on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him lightly. “Babe, you need to take a break. You’ve been working nonstop all day and I don’t even know if you slept last night. At least take a short nap. Please?”

She felt his chest rise and fall as he took in a deep breath before letting it out in defeat, hands reaching up to grip her arms gently. “...I guess a couple hours won’t hurt, right?” When she nodded, he let out another small huff of air before quickly clacking away at the keyboard again, presumably saving his progress. Her eyes followed his mouse across the screen as he brought up various programs, most of them appearing to be alarms for if something happened while he was away. The binary was a foreign language to her, flashing in front of her eyes with the familiar numbers meaning things she couldn’t comprehend.

Finally he grabbed one of her hands, bringing it up to brush his lips against her knuckles, leaving the area tingling from his touch. When he released it she pulled back, allowing him the space to freely stand and stretch, his arms in the air before he draped them around her shoulders, pulling her in snug against his chest. His chin rested upon her head and he swayed slowly, humming a tune that she wasn’t familiar with as though they were dancing. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she let him lead as he started taking small steps, following his movements clumsily and smiling into his - no, he was still wearing _hers_ \- shirt.

“...you’re too good to me,” he whispered, nuzzling his nose into her hair as they made a particularly large step to the side, him helping her keep balance when she nearly tripped over her own feet. Furrowing her eyebrows, she tried to lean back and look up at him but he held her even tighter, as though he was in fear of her slipping away. In response she moved her arms so that they looped around his neck, curling a stray lock of hair around one finger. "I don't deserve someone so kind." There was a deep sadness in his voice, a despair that made her heart break.

"You deserve so much more." Her response was simple but true; he sacrificed so much for everyone around him without ever asking for anything in return. She felt a kiss placed against her hair as the volume of his humming increased slightly, hoping he believed what she'd said. They stayed like that for a while, moving slowly to the music of his own making, feet gingerly stepping across the ground in a form of dance.

She almost felt like she could fall asleep in his arms, the gentle swaying rhythmic and soothing when combined with the warmth she felt from being pressed up against him, listening to his heart beat in his chest. That is, until he suddenly grabbed one of her hands and moved his to her low back, dipping her down dramatically with a teasing grin on his face. Caught off-guard, she fisted her hand in his shirt and tried to catch herself, causing him to laugh and bring her back to standing position quicker than he probably would have otherwise. Scrunching her nose at him, she shoved him away, shaking her head and trying to play at being angry with him. When he laughed harder, she knew she had failed in that attempt.

Wiping away some tears from the corner of his eyes, Luciel turned to glance at the couch, cocking his head to the side and absentmindedly running a hand through his hair. “Hmm. I wonder if it’ll be more comfortable than my bed,” he mumbled to himself, stepping forward and pushing down on the cushions. MC watched, one eyebrow raised before it dawned on her what he meant. Nope, that wouldn’t do.

“Oh, no, you’re not gonna sleep on the couch!” she exclaimed, fixing him with an are-you-serious look when his golden eyes swept over to her. “There is a perfectly good bed in the guest bedroom that is more than big enough for both of us.”

He recoiled slightly, shock flitting across his features before he plopped down on the couch, shaking his head. “Mmm, no, nope, not happening. I think you tend to forget that I’m a guy too… I may be strong, but it’s not necessarily good to keep testing my willpower.” Letting out a nervous laugh, he caught the handle of his duffle bag with his foot and pulled it toward him, dumping it unceremoniously in his lap to dig through for something more appropriate for sleepwear.

“And what, sleeping next to me while I’m wearing pajamas that cover the whole of my body is way too tempting to resist?” She laughed, placing her hands on her hips and watching as he pulled out a plain white shirt and sleep pants. “If that’s the case, you should see what I _normally_ wear to bed.”

Teasing him like this was always too good to pass up, because he made a rather familiar strangled noise and she saw his cheeks flush a color to rival his hair, the corners of her lips twitching as she tried to hide her amusement. She decided to take it another step further. “Besides,” she started, purposefully rasping her voice a little in an attempt to sound more sultry as she slowly walked up to him. He froze when she ran a finger along his cheek and over his lips, smirking at the shiver she saw pass through him at the touch. “Maybe I want to see how just how far I can push you.”

A hand shot out and gripped her wrist tightly, stopping her in her tracks. Eyes of molten gold tinged with desire slowly rose up to meet her gaze, the intensity swirling in them shooting straight to her core. As though he knew the effect he had on her in that moment, a truly wicked smile arose on his lips and he stood, closing the distance between them in the space between heartbeats to crash their lips together. MC let out a gasp as he drew her flush against him, his free hand tangling in her hair while he bit roughly at her bottom lip, thrusting his tongue eagerly inside her mouth once it opened. She hadn’t been aiming for this reaction, not yet - but she wasn’t necessarily going to turn it down, either. His tongue explored her mouth eagerly, performing an intricate dance with hers as she started to return the passion he’d unleashed upon her. He released her wrist to free up his hand to reach around to the small of her back, bringing her in even closer, ensuring their bodies were connected from head to toe.

His knee nudged at her thighs and she allowed him to slide his leg in between, inhaling sharply when he broke their kiss, yanking her head back by her hair and descending upon her neck, biting roughly at the spot where it connected to her jaw. A small moan escaped her when he moved down and did it again, the pain only serving to heighten the pleasure she felt. A trail of hot, open mouthed kisses led up to her ear, then-

"Mmm, be careful what you wish for; I can be a bit of a sadist, so don't push me unless you're ready for that." She let out a whine of protest when he backed away, her body trembling with an unfulfilled need. The look on his face softened, and he reached out to take her hand, still keeping space between them. "I'm sorry, that was mean, wasn't it? But now you know what it's like when you tease me... But I can't... not yet. Just be patient, okay?" Nodding, she resolved herself to be stronger and to cut back on the teasing; she didn't really like it when he returned the favor.

They both jumped when the sound of slow clapping filled the room, turning to the darkened doorway that led to the dining room to see a figure leaning against the wall there. "Jumin?" she called out uncertainly, fear blooming inside of her as she noticed the person was not tall enough to be the man in question, letting Luciel push her behind him without a fight.

"And here I thought I was gonna get the full show," sang out the familiar voice and she stiffened immediately, eyes wide as the shadow pushed off the wall and made its way slowly into the light. Her heart sank at the sight of the white hair and mint eyes, mind racing at how he could have managed to sneak in so quietly. Not a single one of Luciel's alarms had gone off, and the guards-! Were the guards okay? Shit, would _they_ be okay if he made it this far?

Luciel tensed in front of her, one arm still out to hold her behind him. "How did you get in?" he growled, prompting a wild laugh from his estranged brother.

Saeran tutted, placing a finger to his lips and tiptoeing closer, a creepy smile adorning the too-familiar face. "That's a secret."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long! But I've been struggling with the direction I wanted to go with this. Do I follow canon, or do I take the path that twists and turns around canon but is inherently different? Ah, it's a tough choice. Anyway, here we are and hopefully I'm finally on the road I plan to stay on.


	18. Not Okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saeran's here! What do we do!?

"How did you get in?" Luciel growled, prompting a wild laugh from his estranged brother.  
  
Saeran tutted, placing a finger to his lips and tiptoeing closer, a creepy smile adorning the too-familiar face. "That's a secret."

MC cast a glance toward the darkened hallway that led to the bedrooms, wondering if she would be able to make a dash for it. If Saeran had managed to make it past the guards, what’s to say someone else hadn’t also? She needed to check in on her children and protect them from whatever the intruder had planned. There was no way she was willing to take any chances and assume their safety. It was just a matter of whether or not she was fast enough...

As though reading her mind, Saeran smirked, fluidly moving to block her path. Shaking his head, he lowered his chin, looking up at them through the light pink fringe of his hair. “Now, now, don’t get any daring ideas, my little mouse. Wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt here, would we?” The smirk changed to a snarl suddenly and he looked down, anger flashing across his face as he roughly shoved Elizabeth the 3rd away from where she’d sat in front of him, her large, blue eyes watching him curiously. The action sent her skidding across the wooden floor until she regained her footing, letting out a yowl and dashing past him into the darkness. Cursing under his breath, Saeran watched her go with a deep frown before turning back to the two before him.

“Saeran, please, no one needs to get hurt. Just tell me why you’re doing this,” begged Luciel, and MC could hear the desperation laced throughout his voice. He hadn’t answered any of her questions involving his twin yet, and she felt completely in the dark as she looked from one to the other.

The moment Luciel spoke, Saeran's gaze sharpened, a deep loathing rising up within his eyes. Cocking his head to the side, he regarded his brother with a sour expression, almost looking like he'd just tasted something bitter. A moment and then it passed, replaced by a look of pure boredom. He casually picked at his black nail polish, holding his hand out in front of him as he calmly said, “wrong. At least one person needs to be hurt. You need to pay for your sins, Luciel. You're not invited to paradise.” He glanced over the redhead’s shoulder to smile wickedly at MC, causing her to recoil in fear. The reaction made his smile grow wider and he curled his hand back in, bring it up to tap a finger on his chin. “My, you've been a very naughty mouse, haven't you? Disobeying my orders and then running away, making me chase you. I find myself at a loss for what to do with you.”

Taking a deep breath, MC squared her shoulders and stepped out from behind Luciel, directing her most withering glare at Saeran. Frustrated when his only response was to cock an eyebrow and smirk, not even his finger faltering as it moved on his chin, she narrowed her eyes further, crossing her arms over her chest. “Nothing,” she responded, watching the confusion roll over his face. He opened his mouth to respond but she cut him off, her confidence increasing when she felt a hand land on her shoulder. “You’ll do nothing to me.”

Sneering, Saeran dropped his hand and reached behind him, pausing with one hand hidden under the dark shadow of his jacket, his other hanging by his side, twitching slightly. “So you think, little mouse, so you think,” he said, almost whispering. “But you don’t know what I’m capable of, now, do you?” He bared his teeth as he brought his hand forward, a rather impressive dagger held loosely between his fingers. MC’s eyes widened as the dim light glinted off of the silvery blade, a small gasp escaping her partially opened lips, prompting a dark laugh from the man in front of her.

“Saeran,” Luciel started, taking a step forward only to freeze in place when Saeran gripped the weapon tightly and pointed it at him, open hostility on his face. Letting out a small puff of air, Luciel scratched his neck for a moment before inching forward a bit more, watching his brother without a trace of fear. “Please, put the knife down. There’s no need for that here, if you’ll just tell us what’s going on, if you’ll just listen-”

“Listen to a liar? To the one who abandoned me after promising me that we’d always be together? I think not,” Saeran growled, harsh, barking laughter following. Mint eyes narrowed and his lip curled up just the tiniest bit as he stared at Luciel, the dagger held in between them threateningly. “All you ever do is tell lies. Lies, lies, lies! I bet you told her all sort of lies too, huh? What’d he tell you? That he’d protect your precious children? Lies!” He swung his gaze over to MC, his free hand gesturing madly at nothing. “Don’t believe him, all he’ll do is run away once he has the opening.”

A shuddering breath drew her attention to her boyfriend and when she looked over at him, she saw shimmering pools distorting the golden hues of his irises, close to spilling over to make the trek down his cheeks. Raw pain was laid bare on his face, his lips drawn in a thin line and his body shaking as he tried to hold back the sobs. How she wished she knew what had occurred between the two so that she could be of some use! Nonetheless, she knew where she stood and what she believed, and she believed there was more to this than Saeran was saying.

Her hand shot out to grab one of Luciel’s clenched fists, prying it open to insert her fingers between his. Smiling up at him, she brought their hands up to her mouth and pressed a kiss to his knuckles, trying to silently express her support. A tear fell when he offered her a shaky smile and she reached up to wipe it away, ignoring the gagging noises coming from their unwilling spectator. Patting his cheek softly, she smiled again before turning around to face Saeran once more, smirking at his disgusted face.

“You're wrong,” she spoke quietly but firmly, not reacting when his eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Luciel would never do that, not unless it was the only way to save us. I know that like I know my own name, and there's not an ounce of doubt within me. Nothing you have to say can change that.” The quiet gasp and gentle squeeze of her hand let her know that Luciel appreciated what she had to say, and if she felt like she could, she'd have said it while looking at him, just to see his face.

An unamused snort issued forth from Saeran as he stared at her, waving the dagger absentmindedly at Luciel when he moved. “No, you stay where you are,” he snapped, not even bothering to look over at him. His gaze turned pitiful as he continued to regard her and after a moment, he shook his head slowly.

“It's my fault that you're here, and I'm too late to save you from his treachery.” MC blinked in surprise at the sincere tone, eyebrows dipping in confusion as Saeran rubbed a hand wearily across his forehead. “You've been brainwashed by him and V. The two worst people in the RFA have gotten to you. I failed you, but I'll make amends by bringing you to paradise. There you'll finally be happy.”

A movement in the shadows behind him caught her eye, and she afforded it a quick glance before looking back at him, smiling sweetly. “Yeah, I think I’ll pass on your ‘paradise’,” she said, using her free hand make quoting motions in the air. “Been there, done that, didn’t agree with me. Particularly the being locked in a cell in rags and unable to see my kids, that was kind of a drag.” Luciel nudged her in the side and she looked up to see his brows furrowed in confusion, his eyes bouncing between hers in an attempt to figure out what she was doing. Shaking her head minutely, she just smiled at him again and gave his hand a squeeze. He frowned but returned the squeeze, his eyes swinging back over to his brother.

Saeran’s head was tilted to the side now, a small smile playing across his lips while he watched their little exchange. “Are you done now?” he asked harshly, the hand holding the dagger twitching noticeably. “Because I don’t have all night, and I’m getting impatient for my playmates.”

Her blood ran cold at the implications behind his words but she didn’t have to think on it for long, because almost immediately after he finished speaking, Saeran let out a loud gasp. Luciel released her hand, acting fast to pry the dagger out of his yet-extended hand while Jumin pressed a gun to his temple.

“Next time, I would advise you not to kick Elizabeth the 3rd,” Jumin said calmly, one arm wrapped around Saeran to hold him tightly against him. “Granted, I was already fairly certain something was wrong but that only confirmed my suspicion.”

“Damnit, you're supposed to be sleeping,” Saeran whined, glaring at Luciel. In a much more aggressive tone, he snarled at his brother to return his knife, spitting at him when Luciel predictably refused.

“That was a severe miscalculation on your part. It would be impossible for an outsider to predict my sleeping habits.” Jumin had to be pissed underneath it all, yet he still sounded so robotic; MC had to give him credit for that. His hand never wavered as it held the gun, and it was only when she looked closely that she saw he had the safety on. Interesting.

Luciel dropped the dagger on the table with his computers, letting out a large sigh before approaching them once more. Holding his palms up to show that he meant no harm, he came to a halt in front of Saeran. “I want to know what happened to you,” he said softly, the look of despair on his face breaking MC’s heart. “But first, I need know how you got in here. Past the guards, past the alarms, past me…”

An incredibly loud and unsettling laugh was his answer, Saeran's whole body shaking with mirth. MC and Luciel exchanged worried glances; even Jumin looked disturbed at his reaction to the question. Luciel took another step forward and was met with a sudden headbutt, a large grin on Saeran's face as his hands flew up to his nose. Blood was flowing freely down his face, causing MC to jump into action and grab one of his shirts that had fallen to the floor when he'd stood up originally. Handing it to him, he immediately used it to pinch his nose shut, mumbling his thanks.

It was during this distraction that Saeran lurched forward suddenly, throwing Jumin off-balance enough to allow him to use a few well-practiced moves to retrieve the gun from his hand. He screeched in delight at the development, still laughing as he pointed his new weapon at Jumin. “Your first mistake was allowing me access to a gun,” he cackled, eyes lit up with excitement. “Now I can finally take my revenge on the person who left me all by myself with that crazy bitch!” He sounded positively gleeful, sending chills through MC.

“Alright, you win,” Jumin answered calmly, hands raised in defeat. “At least tell me this: did you kill my guards?”

“I didn't need tooooo~” Saeran answered, drawing out the word. “The Savior has been watching you for some time. She's been watching all of you. She knows the ways to get to each and every one of you, and there's nothing you can do to stop her!” It was all said in a sing-song voice, but unlike the soothing and humorous tones of his brother, his was jarring and unpleasant to the ears.

Reaching out and grabbing Jumin’s shirt, he yanked him around to be near MC and Luciel before aiming the gun at his brother. “Ah, this tastes sweeter than I could have ever imagined,” he whispered, clicking off the safety. “Goodbye, Saeyoung,” he finished, pulling the trigger.

MC let out a yell, arms stretching out and closing around Luciel. Flinching at the _click_ that rang out, she squeezed him tight, tears soaking into his shirt. It was only when he uttered a small chuckle that she realized he was still alive, unhurt save for his nose. Glancing back to Saeran, she noted that he was staring wide-eyed at the gun in disbelief and anger, giving it a frustrated shake before trying again. Another _click_ , but no bullet flew from it to render flesh.

Jumin laughed, low and almost diabolical in nature. “You didn't honestly believe I was going to give you a loaded gun, did you?” he inquired condescendingly, one eyebrow raised at the shocked man. “I don't even have bullets for it, it's just meant as a diversion tactic should someone make it past my guards. It certainly served its purpose, don't you think, MC?” Tilting his head to look at her, he flashed her a triumphant smile.

She returned it without hesitation. “Why yes, I would say it did just that,” she agreed, watching as Luciel approached the slack-jawed Saeran, removing the gun from his hands and quickly wrestling him into a chokehold.

“Sorry about this, brother,” he said quietly as he held him, Saeran's hands clawing at his arms as he cut off his air. When he finally slumped, passed out, Luciel lifted him up and deposited him carefully on the couch, standing back and staring at him.

“Well, this just got a whole lot more complicated.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why does Saeran call MC mouse? I was asking myself this earlier today because I noticed it when I typed it and kinda thought "hmm, odd." It's not the first time, and it feels like it wrote itself in. It's... creepy. *shrug*


	19. Hatching a Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What to do, what to do...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It felt like I was pulling teeth to get this one out and it's certainly not my best, but the next one should be much easier! Lots of action and excitement is what I have planned... of course, they have to cooperate with me for that. :)

It’s odd how peaceful people look when sleeping. Even those who are not necessarily the most sane during their waking hours often end up with a quiet expression on their face, their eyelids fluttering while their brain cycles through REM sleep. Saeran was no different, his face calm and smooth despite the fact that it was only a short time earlier that he’d been snarling at all of them. It’s in that moment, while MC sat next to him on a sort of guard duty, that she was forced to face the reality of him and Luciel being twins.

Identical was definitely not an understatement. It’d been a long time since she’d seen identical twins in person, and she’d forgotten just how eerie it could be. Just like the girls she’d known back home, unless you looked incredibly close, you’d never find any differences. Luciel and Saeran had the same nose, the same shape to their eyes, the same mouth and the same little dimple that sat just beneath their chin. Hair and eye color aside - since she assumed both were altered and not a natural occurrence to Saeran - the only differences she noted was that Luciel had a light dusting of freckles across his nose that Saeran lacked, and that Saeran’s face was longer and thinner. Two of those could be circumstantial, honestly; Saeran looked half-starved so it’s possible that if he put on weight, his face would fill out, and with the freckles? Well, they usually need the sun to develop. Luciel may not adventure beyond the walls of his bunker often, but it’s not hard to believe that he still managed to get out more than his cult-ridden brother.

She caught herself right as she was reaching out to brush back the pink fringe that had fallen into his eyes, jerking her hand back in disgust. Regardless of whether or not he was Luciel’s brother, he was still the man responsible for kidnapping both her and her children; she was not going to let that go so easily. Honestly, he creeped her out, between his cold exterior and the obvious joy he took when inflicting any sort of pain. 

Luciel was over in the corner, in the middle of a discussion with Jumin about what their next steps would be. Jaehee had arrived about 45 minutes after everything went down, apparently quite used to responding to summons at odd hours. After inquiring about where she’d be most helpful, MC had suggested she go get some sleep. That had brought several looks of confusion her way, so she’d clarified that she meant in the room with Tai and Li. Since MC herself was currently running on a rather large amount of adrenaline, there was no way she was going to be able to calm herself down to the point of being able to drift into dreamland. That didn’t stop her from wanting _someone_ in there, and she trusted Jaehee enough to be comfortable with her. It had been an internal struggle of where MC should be, but in the end she chose to stay by the intruder's side; it was obvious a new plan needed to be made and she wanted to make sure Luciel and Jumin were free to do whatever they needed. Plus, being the one sitting next to Saeran meant she knew at all times what he was up to, something that would have bothered her had she been in a separate room.

One way or the other, the situation was not ideal, but she was trying to make the best of it.

Zen and Yoosung had been notified and were on their way over as well; currently it had been voted that it was best for them to all remain together, simply because of the old safety-in-numbers rule. The implications that whoever Saeran was referring to as "The Savior" knew all of their weaknesses was terrifying, and the fact that there was obviously someone in Jumin's guards that couldn't be trusted was a devastating hit. Luciel expressed his regret several times that his bunker was out of the question for a place to hide, because it would have most likely been far enough off the radar to be safe. Alas, with the agency and apparently-not-a-maid-Vanderwood after him, it simply wouldn't work.

MC contemplated the man before her, his hands tied behind his back with some rope Jumin had lying around (the man sure had an eclectic collection of items). When this had all began, she'd never thought she'd end up in any sort of position of power over him, and the fact that she was in control for once thrilled her. It was almost a shame that he was related to her boyfriend, because otherwise she wouldn't have felt any sort of need to hold back. Not that she would've tortured him or anything, she didn't have the stomach for any of that. But she certainly wouldn't have treated him well. 

The sound of footsteps drew her eyes away from him and she looked up to see Luciel striding toward her, laying his hand on her shoulder when he stopped by her side. "Still out?" he asked quietly, a pained frown on his face as he looked down at the sleeping man. She nodded, reaching a hand up to place it on top of his. Brows furrowed, he let out a long sigh, shaking his head sadly. "It should never have been this way." The despair permeating his voice shook her to her core; it wasn't all too long ago she could have been the one saying those words in that exact tone.

Standing up, she turned to wrap her arms around him, hoping the hug would express everything she didn't know how to say. He pulled her close, squeezing her tightly and huffing softly. "I'm going to tell you everything. I'm just waiting for the others to get here, too; this obviously involves everyone now, and I owe all of you the truth. But... thank you, for... for everything."

"I haven't really done anything, but you're welcome," she responded, her hands rubbing soothingly against his back. There was the sound of Jumin moving behind them, the quiet padding of his feet disappearing in the direction of the kitchen. Scrunching her mouth to the side, she released him, stepping back but making sure to snatch his hand. "Did you guys end up coming up with something?" The two men had been chatting for a while in hushed voices, and the fact that they separated held some promise - or so she'd like to believe, at least. Either that or they hit a stalemate and had to take a break.

"Mmm." It should be impossible for such a short noise to sound so disappointed, but he managed to instill such a depth to it that she was filled with dread. "We did, yes... but I can't say it's as secure of a location as I'd like." Silence fell between them and he took the opportunity to sit down on the chair she'd abandoned, pulling her down with him. She settled against him, resting her head on his shoulder and waiting for him to continue. Jumin reentered the room, this time with three glasses and a bottle of wine in hand. Raising his eyebrows at them, he gestured in their direction with the glasses, pouring each of them some of the dark liquid when both nodded. Luciel took a sip when Jumin handed it to him, closing his eyes and letting his head fall back for a moment. For one split second, the facade of confidence fell away to reveal just how exhausted he really was. MC placed her hand on his cheek, giving him a half-smile when he looked at her questioningly. He returned it, bringing the glass to his lips once more before finally going on.

"Jumin's father has a vacation home in the country, about three hours from here. Since we have no other options, that's where we'll all be going. We can't trust anyone outside of the RFA, so I'll be driving one of the company vans to get us there. We'll have to sleep in shifts, just to be safe. I'm sorry that this is the best we can do for Tai and Li - I really wish I could guarantee their safety."

Shaking her head, she placed a finger against his lips. "It's a start. At least we can go there until we come up with a better idea. But... what are we going to do with _him?"_ She pointed at Saeran, narrowing her eyes as he started to stir on the couch. "I get that he's your brother, but can we really trust that they'll be safe around him?" 

Luciel flinched visibly, reaching up to adjust his glasses as he stared at his twin. "I... don't know, but he has to come with us. We have to know... _I_ have to know what happened, and why these people are after us. And right now he's our best chance." Dropping his hand, he started tapping on the side of his thigh in thought. "The van that was sent to pick up Yoosung and Zen is the one we'll be taking, and the plan is to leave as soon as everyone is caught up. It's a long drive, and I haven't had any sleep... will you stay awake with me, to help make sure we get there?"

She nodded without hesitation, jumping slightly when the sound of the front door opening echoed through the house. The familiar voices of Zen and Yoosung came shortly after and she stood, casting a glance at Saeran. "Will he be okay here while we talk?" Despite assurances that he was fairly well tied, she couldn't help the paranoia that kept surfacing that he'd somehow escape and all hell would break loose.

"We'll do it in here so that we can keep an eye on him. Do you wanna go get Jaehee so we can get this show on the road?"


	20. The Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to get moving! The gang enacts their plan to head to their safehouse.

The bags were packed, the kids were dressed and all that was left was shuffling to the van in the wee hours of the morning. Exhaustion was beginning to weigh hard on MC, but she kept her chin up, not wanting Luciel to take note of it. He’d asked her to keep him company on the way to Mr. Han’s vacation home while the others more likely dozed, and having agreed, she intended to keep her word.

Several things had come from the conversation with Luciel about him and Saeran; first of all, he revealed that he’d opened the drawer V had _specifically_ told him not to on the chat after coming face-to-face with his brother. Purposefully waiting until MC was asleep, he’d turned off the alarm system and had quietly shimmied his way into the drawer, not wanting to disturb her. Once he’d discovered what was inside, he’d decided to keep quiet about it until he knew what it meant, and he had chosen this point to spread out the pamphlets, planner and construction plan in front of everyone.

“That’s the symbol from the e-mail I received,” Jaehee had gasped, pointing at the strange looking green eye adorning the pamphlets. It seemed to be a little less elaborate than the one they’d all seen on the invitation online, but there was no mistaking that it was meant to be the same.

Nodding, Luciel picked up one close to him. “Mint Eye is the organization Saeran works for, if the tattoo on his arm is anything to go by,” he said quietly, casting a glance at the stirring man behind them. There was little to no doubt that he’d be waking soon, so he turned back to his friends, hoping to get most of the conversation out of the way before then. “It’s obvious that Rika was involved in at least the planning process of getting them started, since she had all of these materials _and_ the building plans in that drawer.”

“And V knew about it all along,” came the soft voice of Jumin. Looking at him, MC could barely tell that they had just made a rather disturbing discovery; his face was still blank but his eyes were busy telling another story, a story of betrayal and heartbreak. She leaned across Yoosung to pat him gently on the arm, offering him up a small smile when he looked at her. It was mildly surprising to her that he returned it, his lips twitching up quickly before returning back to their general neutral position. _It has to be tearing him apart inside,_ she thought, watching him as he, too, reached out to carefully grab one of the pamphlets. Jumin was still largely a mystery to her, but she knew that V and Rika had both been very close to him; V could probably even be considered his best friend. Top that off with not having many (any?) other friends at all, it probably hit doubly hard. She wished there was a way she could help him.

Yoosung was flipping hastily through the planner next to her, a hint of desperation in his movements. Purple eyes were wide as his finger tapped every spot where Rika had written in “ME,” at least three times every week. “M-maybe she meant she needed t-time to herself?” he said weakly, and when he looked up to meet MC’s eyes, it was obvious that even he knew he was grasping at straws. Never having been good at comfort, she just slung her arms around him and pulled him into a hug, tightening her hold when he dropped the book and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face into her shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Yoosung,” she whispered, and was answered with a stifled sob. One hand came up to gently run through his blond hair, and she heard him whisper a quiet “thank you” as she continued the soothing movements. Honestly, that action was about all she knew to do that would be comforting to him, and even then it was only because he’d mentioned it offhandedly once that it was one of the ways his mom used to soothe him as a child.

After a lot more murmuring and prodding for information - some of which Luciel had, some that he didn’t - everyone came to the conclusion that V had been lying to them about at least _part_ of what was going on - he obviously knew about Rika’s involvement prior to her death, which meant he probably knew what had happened to Saeran. All it took was one look at Luciel’s stone-cold face to see just how he felt about that prospect; MC had been suspicious that the relationship between them had already been cracked, but it was obvious now that it was completely wrecked. And considering what she heard next, she wasn’t surprised.

Luciel told them all about his past, about growing up unwanted and only used as blackmail material against their father -a name he kept secret still - to get their drunkard, abusive mother money to live on. It was, to put it simply, rather horrifying. MC had cast a glance in the direction of the room her kids were sleeping in, peaceful and unaware of their world unravelling slowly again. While their situations were _very_ different - MC would _never_ have the gall to think hers compared at all to the trauma inflicted upon her boyfriend - she now understood why Luciel would get so quiet and emanate a venomous sort of anger whenever the subject of John came up. It was way more personal to him than to the average person, which also explained why he was so quick to promise to protect them.

Dread had snaked through her the first time he mentioned meeting V and Rika at church, and just how fast they had jumped to help him. She wondered if V had realized that it would be impossible to keep his promise even back then, or it he had been as surprised as they were when whatever had happened, happened. There was still no clear story of what had occurred after Luciel had joined the agency; the only thing they knew was that he had been promised that Saeran would be safe and taken care of, and that that had obviously not been the case. Thus, another thing the group agreed on was that despite what he’d done so far, something needed to be done to get Saeran out of the dangerous group he was involved in.

The vacation home they’d be heading to was large, but not large enough to house all of the members plus the children and Saeran in their own rooms, so they spoke about room assignments. It was decided that MC would room with the children - she could have roomed with Jaehee, but she didn’t feel right leaving them alone - while Jaehee had her own room, Zen and Yoosung would share, Luciel would share with his brother and Jumin would have his own. Jumin had plans to call his father and discuss some of the details of their predicament once they’d arrived and settled in, hoping that he could get him to completely swap out the security detail he had been using. In theory, a new company would mean a much smaller likelihood of someone being compromised. Once that was in place, Jumin could have the guards meet them there and everyone would feel much safer until they could plan for whatever would happen next.

Whatever it was, at some point they’d be required to face the Mint Eye and this savior; but that would go easier once the guard was switched. With any luck, they’d be able to get Saeran to tell them some information about what they’d find there.

It was at this point the man in question had jolted awake and Luciel had quickly rushed to his side, both out of concern for his twin and to make sure that he couldn’t escape his binds. Zen and Yoosung joined him, waving off the rest of them to go pack and get ready to leave.

Bringing them up to where they were now, with everyone’s bags sitting at the front door of the penthouse while Jumin dismissed his security, making it completely clear that they were _not_ to return unless he specifically asked for them. MC gathered that the head guard on duty must’ve been putting up a fight about it, because Jumin’s voice became more strained and impatient until finally he shut the door, telling them to wait about five minutes. It was going to take two trips to get everything down; the kids were still too sleepy to do much on their own and needed carried, plus no one was really comfortable with the idea of everyone’s hands being full while Saeran walked on his own. So it was decided that MC would go down with Jumin, Jaehee and Yoosung on the first trip, taking the kids and a good portion of the luggage and then return for the rest and Saeran, escorted by Luciel.

The plan went well; the kids were buckled in with Jaehee staying behind in the van with them while Jumin, MC and Yoosung take the elevator back up, all three of them keeping an eye out for any unwanted visitors. MC started to feel the weight on her chest slowly fall away when they made it back up without any problems, taking a deep breath and visualizing blowing out her anxiety as she stepped back inside.

The remaining luggage was divvied around, with Luciel throwing his two computer bags over his shoulders but otherwise remaining free to guide Saeran. MC took both her duffle bag and his while Zen, Jumin and Yoosung carried the rest of Luciel’s things, the kid’s stuff and anything else that still needed to go. With one of Luciel's hands resting on Saeran’s shoulder, they headed out to the elevator, piling in to make their way down.

“Don’t touch me,” Saeran grumbled, trying to dislodge Luciel’s hand from where it gripped him, rather unsuccessfully. His eyes were wild, like an untamed, rabid animal who had been cornered and his voice was laced with a type of panic MC hadn’t heard come from him before. “What do you think you’re doing? The Savior will never let you take me. She’ll never let you escape.” When no one responded to him, he turned to sneer at MC. “Neither the great and powerful Jumin nor the supposed genius _707_ could keep me out, do you really think it’ll be so easy to get away?”

Letting out a sigh, MC turned her head to the side, completely avoiding his piercing gaze. She had no real interest in talking to him in general, let alone when he was taunting her like this. A bark of harsh laughter came from him, sending chills cascading down her spine. The _ding_ of the elevator reaching ground level felt like it took forever to arrive, but at least they were finally able to get out once it did.

Jumin, Zen and Yoosung made their way out with MC trailing closely until she noticed that Luciel wasn’t directly behind her anymore, and she turned to see that he was struggling against a Saeran who had dug his feet into the ground. Rolling her eyes in frustration, she dropped the bags onto the ground and hurried back to where they were having a battle of will, quickly grabbing on to Saeran’s other arm and putting all her strength into pushing him forward.

The struggle was short lived at that point and soon enough Saeran tried another tactic, this time letting his legs turn into something resembling a pair of limp noodles and almost throwing the two off balance. With an irritated sigh, Luciel carefully slid his bags off of him as well and picked up his twin, carrying him over his shoulder. Saeran started laughing maniacally, just hanging there with his hands beating on his brother’s back. MC watched, grimacing slightly as they moved forward before slowly reaching down to pick up the first of the computer bags.

“I told you!” Saeran screeched in between guffaws, and MC only had time to stand up and look at him in confusion before she felt an arm go around her waist. Eyes going wide, she instantly started to try to free herself but before she could succeed, pain bloomed in the back of her head and she succumbed to darkness.


	21. Back at Mint Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back at MC's favorite place: Mint Eye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait between updates! T_T I fell really far behind on my writing list and just. Struggled. But I think I'm caught up enough that the updates should be semi-regular again.

The surface beneath MC was hard, the air damp and smelling of mildew.  Everything hurt, from her head down to her ankles, one mildly painful while the other throbbed deeply and felt bruised. When she tried to move she would’ve screamed had her throat not been so raw and her mouth not so dry, for the slightest shifting of position amplified what she’d assumed to be a minor ache in her chest to a sharp, stabbing pain and when she cautiously explored the area with her hands, she found she was bandaged heavily there. Terrifying. She wanted to sit up and get a better look at it but even if she could move without feeling like she’s being fed through a blender, she dreaded the prospect of opening her eyes. Through the pain she can make out the tingling of her skin that speaks of sensation overload and there’s a muffled warning trying to make itself heard in the hazy depths of her mind.

She needed to be careful.

“Babe? Are you awake?” That voice… she tried to reach out a hand to feeling along the wall but fell short upon finding she couldn't  _move her arm._  She jolted and moaned softly in pain when someone clasped her other one. “Don’t try to move. You’re in rough shape. Why’d you have to fight them like that?”

Fight? Fight… who? She tried to navigate through the foggy recesses of her brain, but it was like walking through an abandoned house, pushing aside spiderwebs only to find more along a never-ending hallway. What happened? It was obvious where she was; this was a place she’d never forget, unfortunately, and even without looking around it’s obvious through the chill in her bones that she’s back in the dungeons of Mint Eye. But she’s not alone this time.

Opening her mouth to try to say something, she found herself being shushed instantly by Luciel with a finger gently held against her lips. “No, you need rest. I know you have questions… I’ll try to answer as best I can. Uhh, squeeze my hand once for yes, twice for no, okay?”

She squeezed once. “Okay, so… do you remember anything about our capture?”

Their capture. What was the last thing she remembered… suitcases, children, the white hair of _him…_ They’d been on the move. To go… somewhere Jumin thought would be safe. Down the elevator, Saeran had struggled, then… nothing. Darkness. Is that what he was referring to?

She cautiously squeezed once again. “So you remember being taken captive. Do you remember what happened between then and now?” Two squeezes; she had absolutely no idea, although she had a feeling it was directly related to her current condition.

She heard a deep inhale, and then he started speaking. As the words came, so did the missing pieces of her memory.

 

> _The world was shaking and moving beneath her as she came to, her eyelids heavy from the severe banging of her head. She tried to reach an arm up to touch it but an insistent tugging on her wrists told her they were bound together and suddenly she was alert, eyes snapping open to take in the dark inside of the van she was in. Across from her sat Luciel and next to him was Saeran. The former had his eyes closed and head resting against the wall while Saeran was shouting some directions to someone up front. In a rush, the memories of the past few hours came back and her eyes widened, leaning forward to look for anyone else. Did the others get away? Were her kids safe?_
> 
> _“Look who finally decided to wake up.” With a long-suffering sigh, MC turned her eyes on a grinning Saeran. Luciel was now looking at her too, though his face was, for the most part, unreadable. The exception was his eyes; there was a deep sadness in them._
> 
> _“Let us go,” she demanded, shifting in her seat. There were two people sitting next to her, one man, one woman, but she paid them no heed. “We just want to live in peace and hold our parties. We’re no threat to you.”_
> 
> _Saeran's laughter, high-pitched and maniacal, told her just what he thought of that. “Let you_ go? _Yeah, right, like I'm just going to fucking do that. You're a traitor.” He pointed one shaking finger at her, sneering. “You're no better than_ him _now. I'll feed you to the dogs for what you've done.”_
> 
> _Well, it had been worth a try, even if she'd known it was likely pointless. Frowning, MC brought her hands up to feel around her head and found her hair was matted together on her right side behind her ear - what on earth did they use to knock her out with? It's obviously dried blood. What if they'd killed her? Then what of their plans?_
> 
> _It was while she's busy contemplating this that the van came to a stop and suddenly she's being hoisted up onto unsteady feet and shoved forward. She tried to bat at the hands of her captives but every attempt only caused them to handle her even more roughly. She knew she shouldn't, but she allowed herself to get mad._
> 
> _“Don't fucking touch me,” she snarled at the woman, stomping hard on her foot. Before the other could react, she whipped around and kneed him in the crotch, mercilessly head butting him when he started to lean down. MC was just about to turn back to the woman when she felt someone latch onto her right arm and twist it around behind her quickly and ruthlessly. She cried out in pain as a sickening crack reverberated through her and fell to her knees, a mistake in itself when the woman came up and started kicking her, hard and repeatedly. Each blow came with more pain and she felt another crunch when the foot landed higher than the stomach. Screaming, she started begging for them to stop, please, just stop hurting her, she’d do anything they wanted._
> 
> _She was roughly drug to her feet and turned around to face Saeran, her arm released and now dangling uselessly beside her. “You try anything like that again and I’ll kill you myself,” he said with a blank face. Not for the first time MC was struck with exactly how psychotic he was, one minute laughing as he discussed violent plans to torture their prisoners and the next deadly serious. “Now move, bitch,” he growled, shoving her forward. She wasn’t prepared for the pain that shot through her from walking and stepped wrong in an attempt to compensate, falling to the ground again as her ankle twisted._
> 
> _Then everything went black again._

“And now we’re here. It’s been over a day I think, but it’s hard to tell in the dark.” Luciel squeezed her hand softly. “They gave you some injection after you went down. Saeran wouldn’t tell me what it was for, so it could’ve been to help with the pain or to drug you. I don’t know.” His other hand came up to rub gently along her cheek and she nuzzled into it, craving the feeling of his affection.

“As far as I can tell, it’s just us.” She heard him shift, and the slight jerk of his hand in hers told her he was probably sitting down. “They got you before me and I had just enough time to shout at the others to run. Jaehee and the kids would’ve been able to get away even if no one else could.” She could tell he was only saying this to try to bring her comfort - did he even believe his own words? Not that it mattered, even if the kids were here it’s not like she was in any shape to help them. All she could do is hope that Jaehee and the others got away safely and managed to go into hiding. Hopefully no one else had to share their fate.

“I haven’t seen anyone since they dropped us into this cell,” he continued, and her heart dropped. That meant no one had been bringing him - them - food or anything to drink. Were their captives going to let them die down here? With everything statement he said, every answer to every unspoken question she had, ten more questions cropped up. It was like trying to fight a damn hydra, and she was already tired. So tired, from everything that’d happened over the past few months and years of her life.

“...well, until now, I guess.” The sound of footsteps approaching caused MC to jerk in surprise and Luciel shushed her again, releasing her hand and leaving it cold. There was the sound of scuffing and then the brush of something - hands? - against what she assumed were the metal bars of their prison; Luciel must’ve stood and moved to the front. “What are _you_ doing here,” he said suddenly, aggressive and bitter.

Metal scraped against metal before creaking hinges squeaked their protest at being moved. “The Savior wishes to see both of you.” That voice… could it be?

“Get away from her!”

A large sigh and then she felt someone grab her arm, their hand cold. “Luciel, please. MC can’t be moved without having at least _some_ pain medicine.”

“V…” she eked out though the pain and the dryness of her mouth. What was he doing here?

“Yes, MC. It’s me. You’re going to feel a poke while one of the disciples gives you something for the pain, and then we’re taking you to talk to the Savior. She wants to speak with the both of you. Alone.”


	22. Meeting the Savior

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MC and Seven go to meet the Savior  
> **Seven's POV**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Opted to write this one from Seven's POV because MC is drugged and unable to do/see much themselves.

The precision with which the needle was inserted into MC’s soft, pale skin was a relief, though a minor one. At least this ‘disciple’ knew what he was doing and it wasn’t some young, naive initiate just shoving it in the arm and hoping for the best. That still didn’t do anything to ease Saeyoung’s trepidation about _what_ they were injecting MC with; V had said pain medication but was that _all_ it was, or was it some sort of mixture to make her more compliant as well? It didn’t take a genius to figure out everyone here - with perhaps the exclusion of V - was on some type of drug and it wasn’t a much longer jump to come to the conclusion that it had something to do with making the members more likely to listen to orders.

Granted, he _was_ a genius, but still. He doubted it was hard to figure it out for even a less intelligent person.

Anger flared in him when that same disciple grabbed MC’s arm immediately after, yanking them up off the bed with a snarl. “Get up, bitch,” came the cold, unfriendly voice and he released them as soon as they were upright, uncaring when they tipped over immediately without any support.

It wasn’t the first time Saeyoung had been thankful for his secret agent training and fast reflexes since he’d met MC and it was unlikely to be the last as he darted over and wrapped his arms around their middle, doing his best to catch their weight without disturbing the fractured arm. “Are you crazy!?” he hissed at the smirking disciple, holding MC’s trembling body firm against him. “They can’t _stand_ right now, let alone walk!”

Cruel laughter rang out in the small cell as the disciple sneered at him, leaning forward and purposefully grabbing MC’s injured arm and twisting it to force them to cry out in pain. “Do you think I care?” he growled, dropping the useless limb to let it fall back to their side. “All I care is that you and her go see the Savior like you were ordered to.”

“ _They_ can’t go to the Savior unless _they_ are given some accommodations for _their_ injuries,” Saeyoung snapped back, purposefully emphasizing the pronouns. They’d already done enough to hurt MC physically, they didn’t need to cause any more pain by incorrectly gendering them on purpose.

“I can… walk,” a painfully hoarse voice said and Saeyoung glanced down to see MC squinting blearily up at him through bloodshot eyes. “Just… let me… hold onto… you…” God. The way every few syllables was punctuated with a wheezing, gasping breath made him cringe. He was no medical expert, but Saeyoung was starting to think that maybe there was more damage done to MC’s torso than he'd originally accounted for. These guys really didn't pull their punches, huh…

Ducking under the uninjured arm, Saeyoung slid his hand around MC’s waist and pulled them tight against his side. “No more talking,” he said firmly, squeezing their hip gently. “Focus on breathing and just staying upright.” When those eyes he loved turned to look up at him, he gently tapped each lid, forcing them to close again. “Don't strain yourself more than you have to. I'll make sure we get where we need to, babe.”

“This is all extremely vomit-worthy, but we need to be moving now.” Saeyoung’s smile fell off his face as he switched his gaze to the clearly impatient disciple. He opted not to say anything, letting his anger speak from his face and body language. With a squeeze of their hip, Saeyoung urged MC to move forward and they took one step, two steps, three. The process was slow and their legs shaking, but together the couple started to move in the direction indicated.

V hadn't spoken since the disciple started, so Saeyoung dared a quick look back at him out of curiosity. Head lowered and slouching, it was impossible to see past the wall of blue hair and sunglasses. Bitterness welled up in his heart; V had _promised_ to look after Saeran but did he? No, he and Rika must’ve just given him up at the first opportunity.

Saeyoung’s not sure if he’s more angry with them for breaking their promise or himself for leaving in the first place. He should’ve found a different place for Saeran to go, somewhere Saeyoung could’ve sent him money to survive off of, or paid someone to keep him. Hell, maybe he should’ve taught Saeran to code back then, too; two hacker brothers working for the agency would’ve been a far cry better than _this_ disaster.

A set of stairs presented itself to their left and when the disciple started to ascend them, Saeyoung looked from the foreboding steps back to MC. That’s not going to work very well with them in their condition; one ankle was very obviously sprained and the other injured in some manner, though not bad enough to prevent them from using it. The constant cringing and tremors from the pain had not escaped his notice, especially not with MC scooped up against his side; just normal walking was taking a nasty toll on them. There was no way the stairs were an option like this.

“Hold on,” he whispered in their ear before leaning over to slip his other arm under their knees, lifting them up with only a small amount of difficulty due to his attempts to be very careful of present injuries. “We’ve got stairs, and I think you need a rest.” They didn’t answer but did burrow their face into his chest, a soft, dry sob escaping them. Saeyoung’s heart lurched painfully; it was torture seeing MC like this but there was little he could do about it right now other than try to take care of them and keep it from getting worse.

The stairs were uneven and decayed; Saeyoung doubted they were even made of anything other than dried dirt. Considering how new and modern the plans for the building were, that was quite a surprise. _They really devoted time to making this place look like a dungeon,_ he thought, relieved that they were approaching the top and thus the door. The door that appeared to be made out of solid steel. Saeyoung once again was struck with the thought of how much effort was put into keeping this particular part of the building very obviously separate from the rest.

 _Paradise… does that come into play here?_ he wondered, recalling the email and early drafts of invitations to join Mint Eye. The disciple tapped on the door - no doubt in code, which Saeyoung was committing to memory despite the fact that it probably changed every time - to let them through, and as it opened blinding white light stabbed at his eyes. _Is this all a big ploy to show sinners into this Savior’s version of heaven?_

Blinking, Saeyoung’s eyes adjusted slowly but once they did he looked around him in awe. The room had high ceilings with several large skylights, letting in filtered sunlight to illuminate the dark blue walls and wooden floor. Combined with that and the rich, velvety red curtain near the front situated just behind an empty chair - no, that’s a _throne_ \- the entire space felt both natural yet surreal, beautiful but almost too good to be true. That was likely the point; just another trick to convince those at the end of their rope that this place was a form of paradise.

The disciple halted suddenly, bowing low enough that the dark red sleeves of his robe brushed across the ground. Another moment to be thankful for the reflexes born from secret agent training, for if Saeyoung had been a fraction slower he would’ve ran into the man. Considering how everyone seemed to be hot-tempered in their treatment of him and MC, the last thing he wanted was to piss another person off.

“I’m sorry.” Saeyoung swung his head around to glare in confusion at the man behind him, posture even more submissive than it had been just a little earlier. “This wasn’t my intention.”

Brows furrowed, he opened his mouth to inquire about what nonsense V was spewing forth this time when a cold, clear and strikingly _familiar_ voice rang out through the room. “Leave us.” Both V and the disciple scrambled to obey, leaving through a door to their right with all the haste of a gazelle trying to escape a cheetah. _That voice_. It couldn’t be, right…?

Time moved in slow motion as Saeyoung turned to face the front again, his grip tightening enough on MC to make them cry out softly in pain. Instantly he loosened it but he did nothing to relax the tension that shot through his body, making him stiff as a board as _she_ walked up and sat in the throne up front.

That long, wavy blonde hair, those big green eyes. Saeyoung would recognize her anywhere.

“Rika?”

She raised her chin when he addressed her, staring down her nose at him haughtily. “I no longer use that name. You will address me as ‘the Savior’ from here on out. Understand, Luciel?” The warmth he remembered radiating from her was gone, leaving only ice and emptiness in its place. Her face was stone, hard and unfeeling, her eyes startlingly clear in contrast to everyone else he’d seen. _So she’s not on the drugs…_

“You’re looking good for a dead woman,” he joked, eyes flitting around the room in an attempt to figure out what, exactly, was going on. How was she here? _Why_ was she here? Why did V lie about her death? Oh, Yoosung was going to be _so_ angry when he found out…

Clothing rustled as she shifted in her position, tossing some of her hair over her shoulder. “You never did have a sense of self-preservation, did you?” she sneered, raising an eyebrow coolly. “Now is hardly the time for jokes.”

“Now is the _perfect_ time for jokes,” he insisted, giving her his signature lopsided smile, if a bit nervous. “Don’t you know the gig? The villain is revealed, then distracted by talking of their own plans or jokes or memes or cute, fluffy cats while the hero strategically plots a way out and, despite all odds, wins!”

The manner in which she gripped the arms of the chair indicated just how not funny she thought he was, her knuckles turning white. “I brought you here to induct you into Mint Eye, Luciel. Don’t make me regret that decision.”

It’s not the threat of what could happen that makes his blood run cold, but rather the idea that Rika planned to drug him up and brainwash him into joining as well. “I’m not as easy to break as others,” he said lowly, dropping the act he associated with 707. Yet another bonus of his training; he’d learned ways to fight against most methods of torture. Even without that, his mind was focused on the well-being of the person shivering in fear in his arms, of their children hopefully hidden safely away with Jumin and the others. If Rika thought he’d join without giving one hell of a fight, she was wrong.

She waved her hand dismissively, flicking away his words as though they were nothing more than empty promises. “I’m aware. We’ve made arrangements. But that is neither here nor there. I brought you up here to extend an offer to you.” Tapping a finger against her chin, she regarded him thoughtfully. “Join us now, agree to devote your life to achieving eternal paradise and helping others do the same. Pledge your fealty as our new hacker and I’ll let MC and her children go. They can leave, leave Seoul, leave Korea, whatever they want to do without any interference from us. We'll remove the tracker from her arm and send them on their merry way.”

That gave Saeyoung pause. MC squirmed in his arms, opening their eyes and looking up at him pleadingly. “No,” they croaked, that voice just as raspy and painful as before. “Please, don’t.”

“This is all my fault,” he whispered, smiling sadly down at them. “If it weren’t for me, for my mistakes, you wouldn’t be in this situation.”

It hurt to see the tears starting to well up in their eyes, but all it did was solidify the plan forming in his mind. He glanced back up at Rika, mouth set in a firm line. “Make sure John can’t follow them. Prove to me that he won’t ruin their lives anymore,” he countered. If he was truly going to do this, he needed to know for sure that they’ll be safe without him.

Rika laughed, a cold, empty thing. “That’s easy.” Opening her phone, she dialed a number and murmured an order into it before hanging up abruptly. Saeyoung stared at her, brows knitted together in confusion until a loud shout caused him to look behind him, the door opening up again to admit a pair of disciples this time, dragging a livid and very filthy man with them.

John.

“He’s tried to interfere with our placement of MC multiple times. We couldn’t just let it be,” Rika said calmly, expression unchanged when Saeyoung turned to face her once more. “He’s been here for a while now. I have no problem keeping him until he submits too.”

“You crazy bitch! I’ll see you pay for this!” Rika waved her hand again and he was taken back out of the room, back down to the prison below.

Saeyoung immediately cradled MC closer to him when they jerked and started to tremble, burrowing into him in an attempt to hide. “Shh, shh, it’s okay, I’ve got you,” he hushed gently, placing a kiss on their forehead. “Nothing else will happen to you, I swear.”

“No,” they begged again, as though they knew exactly what he was planning on doing. He wouldn’t be surprised if they did.

“It’s for the best. I love you. Remember that.” Then with a deep breath, Saeyoung squared his shoulders and looked back up at Rika. “I’ll do it.”


	23. The Stranger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back in his cell, MC meets an unexpected cellmate.

It was the muttering next to him that woke MC from his medicine-induced slumber. Muted and frustrated, the voice was unfamiliar. A plain, normal sounding one, not too high nor too low, that could be masculine or feminine. They spoke with a British accent, and while the words were too quiet for him to single them out for the most part, he was pretty sure the language was English. Too scared to move at first, MC laid there with his eyes squeezed shut, reliving the horrible memories from the last time he was awake. Pain, so much pain. A meeting with Rika, and then Luciel…

Luciel said he’d join Mint Eye to save him and his children.

Anger filled him, starting from a spark in his core and spreading like wildfire throughout all of his being, a flame burning bright and high fueled by the idiocy of his boyfriend. Luciel no doubt thought he was being chivalrous, taking a burden on himself gladly so that MC could have his freedom.

But MC just thought he was stupid.

Did Luciel honestly believe someone as twisted and cruel as The Savior - no, Rika - would keep their word on something like this? MC knew too much about Mint Eye, about how they worked. On top of that, she was planning to brainwash his boyfriend. Only someone dense would let him go, setting loose a man with leverage over them combined with the determination to rescue the man he loved. Rika was many things, but dumb was not one of them. No, not even close; this whole cult was organized far too well for that. She thought things through, made careful choices and said what she needed to get the job done.

No, MC wasn’t going anywhere. And if something wasn’t done soon, he’d be reunited with his kids in Mint Eye when they manage to capture the other members. Would they even remember their prior lives once they’re all inducted? What would become of his children? Would he have to-

“I know you’re awake, kid. Don’t pretend to be asleep.”

Well, fuck. With a sigh, MC opened his eyes and pushed himself up into a sitting position. The pain that shot through his body was sharp yet muted, a far more manageable sensation than he remembered. Were the drugs they gave him still in his system? How long had he been out? The details were very hazy after he’d been separated from Luciel, and trying to remember felt like attempting to shine a flashlight through thick fog; all it did was light up the fog itself.

“They left you in a pretty rough shape, huh.” The voice came from the part of the cell that was heavily shadowed, the outline of a crouched body barely discernible. “Guessin’ that means you’re either a fighter or really fucking stupid. Maybe both.”

“Both,” MC croaked, his throat raw and parched. He couldn't have been here too long if it still felt like he's swallowing razors whenever he spoke. “Definitely both. Don't piss off a Choi.” Gripping his right shoulder, he let his fingers trail over the swollen area curiously. The pain was radiating from this point, of that he was sure. Being cognizant of his body and surroundings this time was a boon when it came to figuring out what his injuries were. Probably a dislocated shoulder, but the inflammation was severe enough that he wondered if there was more than just that. At least nothing was broken.

Except maybe a rib or two.

“A Choi?” The figure stood, stepping into the dim light. They were tall with shoulder length brown hair and menacing eyes, dressed in all black with the exception of their collar (purple) and the underside of their… cape? MC squinted to try to see it clearer. Yeah, cape. The inside of it was leopard print. Oddly enough, it worked for the stranger, giving off an impression of a predator waiting for the opportune moment to strike at their prey. Folding their arms across their chest, they tapped one finger impatiently against their upper arm in a rhythm he couldn't place. “I didn’t recognize you with all your hair chopped off. You do that, or is it another thing these bloody arseholes are responsible for?”

His hair… MC was too preoccupied with all the aches and pains flooding his body that he hadn’t even noticed how light it felt. “Them.” It _was_ short, shorter than he’d ever have chosen to do himself. It felt barely an inch long as he ran his shaking fingers through it. “H-how do you know me?”

A gloved hand was waved dismissively as the answer to his question. Swallowing, he forced himself to sit up straight and be firm when speaking to the stranger. “Tell me how you know me or I'll make you.” Hopefully his bravado wasn't as transparent as it felt like it was.

The threat pulled a bark of laughter from the person, causing them to raise a single unimpressed eyebrow. “I don't think you're in the condition to make _anyone_ talk, kid. There's no use getting worked up over something I won't be telling you.” Steely eyes gave him a once over before softening minutely. “Got some fire in you, though. No wonder Agent 707 couldn't focus on his work. Did he do this?” They motioned at him, eyes narrowed and scrutinizing his face. There'd be no use lying to them.

“What!? No!” MC replied almost automatically, scandalized. “He would never hurt me!” It took a moment for the fact that his cellmate referred to Luciel as ‘Agent 707’ to sink in, the shock of his boyfriend being accused of beating him taking precedence at first. “Wait. Agent?” There was something niggling at the back of his mind, like two pieces of a puzzle being irresistibly pulled toward each other. Spy movies were about as reliable a source as Wikipedia, but very rarely were civilians allowed in the space where they worked. It made sense; not only was it a security risk, but what was the point in being a spy if everyone knew? Which meant…

“Are you Mary Vanderwood?”

Their expression didn’t change, but they did let out an annoyed sigh. “So he told you about me. What a fucking idiot. Now I have to get rid of you, too.”

“I- what!? Get rid of me?” Even though MC hadn’t thought it possible, more fear shot through him, chilling their blood. It seemed any luck he’d had had finally run out. Either he would die a brainwashed slave or die in this cell. “No! He… he put on a maid outfit and took a picture, then posted it in the RFA chat room and said it was his maid, Mary Vanderwood the 3rd. He occasionally talked about having a maid after that, saying she wouldn’t let him do things like have a cat. It was just a lucky guess.”

“He did _what!?”_ Annoyance flitted across their face for a second before changing to weariness, one hand coming up to rub a temple. “I don't know why I’m surprised. That sounds exactly like the kinda bullshit he’d do.” The expression on their face was akin to one a tired parent might use upon hearing another of their child’s transgressions. Had they been in any other situation, MC might’ve laughed at that.

“Yeah, so…” MC tapered off, unsure what else to say. Vanderwood seemed content to just stay silent and watch him for a while, their eyes never leaving him as he sat there and fidgeted under their gaze. It was unnerving, the last thing MC needed when he was already worked up about so much else. “If you’re chasing Luciel, you won’t be able to get him,” he blurted out in an attempt to make them stop staring. “They’re gonna induct him and then you’d have to go through a long line of their initiates, if you're lucky enough for that.”

“If I’m unlucky, I get killed or inducted myself, right?” Vanderwood raised an eyebrow at MC’s shocked expression, one corner of their lip tilting up into a smirk. “I can recognize when someone’s brainwashed, you know. Everyone I’ve met in this place stinks of it, except you. They can damn well try me, but it won’t work.”

They sounded so confident. “Is that because you’ve had super secret agent training against it?”

“Something like that, yeah.”

The silence fell again, but this time Vanderwood turned and busied themself with inspecting the bars and the door. Maybe there was some sort of weakness they could find and the two could bust out? Or perhaps Vanderwood carried lockpicks in their hair or sewn into their cape (which would at least give it a purpose, other than to be dramatic) and they’d pick the lock to set them free. Would they even let MC go, or would they hold true to their word and kill him? It shocked him to realize he didn’t even care about his own life anymore; his only concern was how it would affect the kids.

At least they’re young enough that if worse came to worse and he died, they wouldn’t remember him. If the others managed to keep them out of Mint Eye’s reach, they could grow up normal children even with both of their birth parents taken out of the equation. Who would take them in? Maybe Jumin, who’d likely end up hiring a full-time nanny. Zen and Yoosung were both too young and too busy, and Jaehee definitely didn’t have time for kids. The prospect of Jumin being their new father didn’t sound too bad; he’d already forged a connection with Tai, which likely meant Li would soon follow. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about whether their physical needs would be met, and Jumin wouldn’t ever abuse them. The emotional, on the other hand…

But there were more ways than just one to meet emotional needs. Jumin seemed cold at first, but MC was certain there were emotions there, they just needed a good reason to surface. Would kids be a good enough reason for Jumin to delve into himself and free them?

A loud growl chose that moment to erupt from his stomach and he furrowed his brows, looking down at it questioningly. There was no doubt about the fact that he was hungry, but how long had he been here by now? How long had it been since he ate?

“How long have you been here?” Vanderwood was still running their fingers along the bars, checking their connection to the wall now.

MC shrugged and let out a loud sigh. “No idea. Luciel thought we’d been here over a day before I was put to sleep, and I have no idea how much time has passed since then.”

Vanderwood’s expression when they glanced back at MC was anything but encouraging. “Starvation. A classic torture technique,” they muttered, tugging one of their sleeves down further. “Well. I can’t say how long you were here before I arrived, but from what I know, you were given a shot every twelve hours, and I’ve been here for three.” When MC’s confusion became apparent, they just gave him a bored look. “Did you think I’d just bust in fucking blind? I did some infiltration and intel-gathering before I tried to extract 707. That was one of the things I overheard.”

A shot every twelve hours. Given three times. 36 hours. “So I’ve probably been here at least three days…” No wonder he’s such a mess. No food, no medicine except whatever cocktail they were choosing to give him. Not exactly ideal.

“Yeah. Probably some sort of stupid cleansing ritual, if I had to guess. Starve us to get rid of outside influences or some bullshit, then get us when we’re weak. It’s what I’d do.”

Is this the type of stuff Luciel’s been involved in? Had he ever… tortured people? MC wasn't sure he could bear the thought of that, as curious as he was. What if the answer was yes? Would that change anything? “Fucking fantastic,” he muttered to himself, flinching when he shook his head a little too hard, causing a flare of pain in his shoulder.

At that point Vanderwood must have decided to take pity on him, striding over to him quickly and grasping his shoulder. “It’s dislocated.” They felt around a little, their fingers precise but gentle, like they’d done this millions of times. “This will hurt. I’m gonna pop it back in, okay? On three.”

MC nodded, squeezing his eyes shut and preparing for a jolt of pain. Anything had to be better than the condition he was in now.

“One… two…”

_Snap!_

“Motherf-!” MC’s voice echoed throughout the cell and down the hall. Trembling, he sunk back until he was resting against the wall, holding his shoulder with his uninjured hand. “I thought you said ‘on three’!”

Vanderwood shrugged, clearly unrepentant. “Easier to do when you’re not expecting it. At least I warned you.”

“...fair enough.” MC’s grumbling was cut short by the sound of echoing footsteps, three men stopping in front of their cell. They were silent, didn’t say a word, only unlocked the door and beckoned for them to come forth. MC cast a nervous glance at Vanderwood before taking one step forward, then two, then out of the cell. Before he could do anything like try to bolt, though, he felt the kiss of cold metal against his skin, a handcuff closing around his wrist. The other side was attached to the arm of one of the men.

“Guess this is it, then,” came Vanderwood’s voice from behind him, resigned.

“Guess so.”


	24. Induction

MC couldn’t stop staring.

He looked so different, standing up there by Rika’s side. Normally vibrant eyes dull, hair matted, clothes ragged. Had he lost weight? Was it possible to lose a lot of weight in a matter of days, or was his mind deceiving him? His face was expressionless but not in the carefully trained way he always had - this reflected an emptiness of emotion. The only thing that seemed untouched on him were his glasses; clean, almost unnaturally so when compared the dirt clinging to his skin.

“You like?” A dainty hand gestured to Luciel, drawing MC’s attention over to the proud smile on that beautiful face. “He’s a challenge, but worth the trouble. Very resistant to join paradise. I’m afraid I’ve had to use more of the elixir on him than I’d planned, but that’s okay. No risk, no gain, right?” Her laughter tinkled like bells and MC noted it would be very pretty if not for the cold edge to it. His gaze wandered back over to Luciel and tears prickled at the back of his eyes; what must they have put him through for him to look like that? They’d beaten him, broken him. Turned him into something he wasn’t.

MC wasn’t sure how, but he would make them pay for this. For all of it. For stealing Saeran away and turning him into what he was now, for making Luciel into a slave. For kidnapping himself and his children and for making the RFA go into hiding.

They _would_ pay.

The sound of tutting drew him from his thoughts and he noticed Rika had stood and started walking closer to them, her green eyes focused solely on him. “Now, now, don’t be like that. After all, you’ll be joining him soon enough. I won’t keep you apart once you’re both shown into Magenta. If your love is true, then I’m sure you’ll be together again.”

Wrinkling his nose, MC spat on the ground when she continued to approach. “Like that’s the kind of love I want,” he scoffed, ignoring the fidget and bump in his arm from Vanderwood that was likely a signal to shut up. “Drugged and beaten into submission. Led into a false ‘paradise’ where I won’t even remember my own children.”

“Your children will join eventually, too.” The clicking of heels resounded ominously throughout the room once she stepped off the carpet, slowly circling the two of them and their captors. “But they are already innocent, so it’s simply a matter of instructing them on the ways of our God.”

A soft snicker from next to him caught his attention, but outside of that, Vanderwood remained silent. Would it be too much to hope that they had some sort of plan up their sleeve to get them out of here?

Rika stopped in front of them, eyes flicking between the two. “I’m not so sure about you,” she offered after a few uncomfortable moments pass, pointing one perfectly manicured nail toward Vanderwood. “I think you’ll have to undergo the more severe method of cleansing, but you… you’re already halfway there.” The expression on her face as she regarded MC was almost triumphant, like she thought she’d won already.

Not fucking likely.

There was no merit in arguing with her, though. MC opted to keep his mouth shut, jaw clenched in an effort to keep the rage boiling within him contained. What did she mean by ‘already halfway there’? Did he _want_ to know?

Or was it because he’d been starved? Vanderwood had mentioned that it was often a part of cleansing rituals for cults like this. Starvation, loneliness…

Drugs.

“You’ve been drugging me with it already.” It seemed so obvious now. Maybe not in full doses, but likely added into the pain medicine he’d been receiving in his slumber. Every poke, every injection had been slowly getting his body used to it. He probably wouldn’t have an adverse effect to a full dose like the normal person might. At the very least it would be muted. Not that that was a positive, really, but he was frustrated he hadn’t considered it as a possibility before now.

Then again, he knew so little about how the drugs worked, how they were taken. All he knew is that most - if not all except Rika - of the members of Mint Eye were on it and it made them more obedient.

He’d yet to see one as dead on the outside as Luciel, though. Could that be from the sheer amount he’d been given, or was it an effect from something else? Hard to tell, really, but the blank look in the normally lively eyes felt like a lance through the heart.

It hurt even more to know he willingly put himself in this situation in a misguided (and failed) attempt to save MC.

“Very true. At least you’re smart, smarter than some we have indoctrinated,” Rika mused, eyes scanning MC’s body. “That means you’ll be useful. You’re attractive, too. Maybe I’ll show you how far that paradise can extend if you’re by my side…” The tip of her finger came to rest under his chin, tipping it up minutely. An overly-familiar touch from anyone was never welcome in his book, but one from her in particular chilled his blood and made his skin crawl.

“Until you do to me what you did to V, right?” he snapped, feeling victorious when she withdrew the finger and cocked her head to the side, pain flashing across her pretty face briefly.

Her hand raised ever-so-slightly in the air and snapped her fingers, the sound loud in the otherwise silent room. “The elixir, please,” she demanded firmly, eyes still trained on MC’s. “V was different. He _wanted_ me to hurt him. He _needed_ me to. I don’t expect you to understand yet.”

MC scoffed at that. “Yeah. I don’t believe you.” A movement out of the corner of his eye caused him to swing his gaze to Luciel, now on the move toward them, a vial about the size of his palm in each hand. A weird, pink-tinged iridescent liquid swirled within, almost mesmerizing to watch as it shifted and sparkled in the light. It was a challenge to drag his eyes off it to watch Luciel’s face, but he managed, hoping, _praying_ for any kind of reaction when he drew near.

Nothing.

Taking the first vial from Luciel, Rika leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek, eyes flicking over to MC as she did so. He bristled but said nothing, knowing it was a show of power. There was no reason to rise to it yet.

“This one is for you,” she said, voice having turned deadly sweet, devoid of the coldness MC had grown used to. Turning, MC saw Vanderwood staring down their nose at it, clearly unenthused about taking the unknown substance into their body.

“You’ve gotta be fucking shittin’ me,” they grumbled, the metal of handcuffs clinking as one gloved hand reached out to gingerly take it from her. “Guess I don’t have much of a choice in this, huh.”

Despite the fact it was phrased more as a statement than a question, Rika answered. “Nope! Take it willingly or we will force you. It’s much more pleasant if you do it on your own, for both sides.”

Shaking his head, Vanderwood pulled out the stopper and sniffed at it, calm expression turning turbulent. “The fuck are you guys putting in here?” They held it up to the light, swirling it a little as though that single motion would unlock the mystery of the ingredients. “Well. Bottoms up, kid.” MC watched as they drank, glass pressed to their lips. One, two, three swallows and it was gone, only a small sheen left on the bottom of the vial. Shuddering, they wiped their mouth and dutifully handed it back. “Gross.”

Nothing happened for a few moments, everything silent while Rika just smiled serenely at Vanderwood. Brows furrowed, MC was just about to ask what was going on when a hand suddenly shot up to Vanderwood’s temple and they groaned, stumbling to the side. One of their escorts reached out and grasped their arm, dragging them over to a pew tucked away by one of the sides of the room, shoving them down. Instantly they dropped their head in their hands, body trembling hard enough that it was easily visible from where MC stood.

He was horrified. What the hell!?

“Alright. Your turn.” Instead of taking the vial from Luciel, she jerked her head toward MC. “Give it to her. Make sure she drinks it.”

Stepping forward, Luciel grabbed the hand from MC’s previously injured arm and yanked it toward him, causing MC to cry out in both alarm and mild pain. He bit his lip, trying not to let the tears spill over at the rough treatment at the hands of his boyfriend. This wasn’t on purpose; at least, not from the Luciel’s he knew. His mind was not his own. Someday, when they were free and healthy, he knew Luciel would regret it. And he’d spend as long as it took to assure him he wasn’t mad.

“Well?” Rika urged, her mask of patience slipping for just a split second as she was forced to wait.

That’s when MC noticed Luciel had frozen, a complicated expression on his face. Different emotions flitted across his features one right after the other and his eyes _focused_ for a moment on MC’s. He felt his breath catch in hope; had Luciel recognized him? It sure looked like it. Maybe it was from his cry of pain but it was still some sort of recognition. And now he was what, fighting the drugs, the brainwashing?

“Luciel?”

Luciel’s nostrils flared and MC’s eyes widened when he saw the man he loved struggle to the surface, gaining control even if only for a moment, long enough to smash the bottle on the ground and grind out a forceful “NO.” The tears finally slipped past MC’s eyelids and he smiled sadly, reaching out a hand to place it on the dirt-and-tear-stained cheek.

“Thank you,” he whispered, all too aware of the struggle Luciel was having to remain in control. “I love you.”

“Love… you…” And then he stopped, stiffening again. Batting MC’s hand away, he stepped back, looking down at the mess on the floor blankly.

The only reaction Rika gave was to sigh loudly, hand coming up to rub her forehead. She made no effort to hide her annoyed expression, suddenly lashing out and slapping Luciel on the cheek, the sound loud and clear. “You will be punished for that transgression,” she murmured, pointing back up to the chair. “Go stand back in your spot.”

Without question Luciel turned, movements almost robotic as he walked back to the place he’d originally been. There was no sign of the real him, the one buried under the abuse Rika had been heaping on to control him.

It made MC’s heart ache so much.

“Hmm. I’ll have to send someone to get another vial. We’re running low on stock, what a waste that was…” Rika beckoned forward another member from beside her chair, humming quietly as she waited for him to reach her side. She was just about to speak when the side door to the room slammed open, causing everyone to jump in surprise. A man in dark robes fell forward onto his hands and knees, messy blue hair poking out from under a hood. He looked up, milky eyes unfocused as he glanced around, shakily wiping a trail of blood from under his nose. Was that... V?

And behind him sauntered in a familiar man with a head of white…

“I found the traitor digging around where the initiates are held. This time he didn’t manage to get away. Figured I’d bring him straight to you for punish...ment…” Saeran trailed off, eyes going almost comically wide when they landed on Luciel. “What the _fuck_ is he doing here!? Did you indoctrinate him? You promised me I could kill him for betraying me!” The rage in his voice sent chills through MC’s body and he swung his gaze back to Rika, surprised to see her standing so calm against the tide of Saeran’s anger.

“We needed him to help bring in the rest of the members, since you weren’t managing to find them,” she answered, waving a hand dismissively at Saeran’s animalistic snarl. “He volunteered to join; how could I turn that down?”

“You could turn him down to keep your word to me.” The words were calm now, quiet. Saeran’s face housed an expression of betrayal, of hatred. He reached behind him with an unsteady hand. “You fucking lied to me. You’re no better than the rest of them.”

“Shh, shh,” Rika hushed, turning away from MC completely and taking a few steps toward Saeran, seemingly unconcerned when he pulled a gun from behind his back. “I would never lie to you. Once we’re done using him, you can kill him. But for now we need him. You understand that, right?”

“Don’t talk to me like I’m a child, Savior,” he accused, raising the gun and pointing it at her chest, causing her to halt in her steps. “Do you think I don’t know that you wanted him instead of me? I tried so hard to be what you wanted but even then, I’m not good enough, am I? You’ll always want him. Am I wrong?” Silence. Saeran’s eye twitched and his free hand tangled in his hair. “ **Am. I. Wrong**?”

Rika sighed. “No. You’re not.”

The cry that fell from him was pitiful and for a moment, MC could see the child he once was plastered on his face. Then it hardened again as he disabled the safety and cocked the gun.

Finally, Rika’s calm demeanor faltered. Raising her hands to her sides, she shook her head sadly. “You know it’s not wise to kill me, Saeran. Do that and you’ll be dead before you leave this room.”

He shrugged. “That’s okay. Wasn’t planning on killing you anyway.” With a truly evil grin, he swung the gun in a completely different direction and fired once. Rika cried out and rushed forward, only to be stopped by the gun being pointed at her again.

Reality felt like it slowed down as MC watched that bullet connect with its target, the dark red of blood flowing out almost immediately from the wound. Unable to hold the scream in, he covered his mouth, kept from moving forward by a firm arm around his waist.

He locked eyes with Saeran and to his horror, the man winked, mouthing the word ‘ _killshot_ ’ before firing once more.

In that moment, MC felt his world shatter into pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who did he shoot? Hmmmm let me know your guesses!


	25. Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a shorter one, sorry!

The only thing that kept MC from crashing to the ground like Rika was the firm hold his captor had, both securing him in place and preventing him from rushing to the body in front of him. Rika’s cries sounded throughout the room, overcome only by Saeran’s high-pitched laughter while he celebrated the destruction he caused.

There was so much blood now. Blood everywhere. Blood trickling down the single stair onto the carpet and a small pool that Rika was kneeling in, her hands searching for something. Maybe a way to stop the bleeding. MC didn’t know. At that point, MC didn’t particularly care, his eyes trained only on the mop of red hair resting on the floor in front of him.

“Let go of me!” His voice was higher than normal, hysterical sounding but he didn’t care. It represented his current frame of mind and he struggled with all he had against the man holding him, desperate to get to Luciel. Desperate to try to save him. “I just want to see if he’s okay!” It felt like his pleas fell on deaf ears, each word being sucked into a black hole instead of impacting like it should. “Please, please, just let me go to him…”

“Let him go.” The member behind him stiffened at the order but ultimately obeyed as Saeran whistled cheerfully, likely not wanting to be the next victim on the list. As soon as the arm loosened MC was shoving it off and running, falling to his knees and moving Luciel off his side, searching for the entry wound among all of the blood.

“Please, please, please,” he begged under his breath, placing two red-stained fingers against Luciel’s neck as well as dropping his ear next to his mouth. _Don’t be dead. Don’t be dead._ The softest tickle of breath made his heart nearly jump out of his chest and he felt a faint pulse. Alive, but probably not for long at this rate.

He ripped off the shirt as best he could, silently thankful for the tattered condition it had been in that allowed him to do it. There it was. Did Saeran hit his heart? Or something else? MC wasn’t a doctor, wasn’t even medically trained but he knew a bullet entering that part of the body was not good. Judging by all the blood, it hit something serious.

Would he bleed out if MC didn’t do anything?

 _Could_ MC do anything?

He jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder but it was only a very pale, very shaky Vanderwood. “Doesn’t look good,” they said, brows dipping after they ran their eyes up and down Luciel’s chest. “Normally I’d try to do something but I’m bloody useless like this. At least he’s probably not feeling pain.”

Nodding numbly, MC watched as Luciel’s eyelids fluttered, hoping that was the case. If the drugs numbed his emotion to the point of complete apathy, maybe they lessened his ability to feel physical things, too. A tear dripped down onto Luciel’s cheek and MC’s wiped it away, wishing he had some magical healing powers like a priest or Raplumzel or something. No, instead he was this useless, pitiful human being who couldn’t protect anyone and seemed to always bring pain down on those he cared about.

Was he cursed?

A black hole that only drug others down with him?

It was a terrible form of irony that Luciel was always so concerned that he’d be the one to bring pain to MC and yet here it was, the other way around. MC would give almost anything to fix this, to somehow go back in time and change the path they had walked, but alas; such a thing was only a dream.

But how could he move forward?

“No, please, please…” Rika’s voice had suddenly become soft, pleading. It bore a different quality to it than mere minutes before; the sharp edge had been dropped, replaced with…. love? No, that couldn’t be right. She couldn’t still love V, not after all of that had happened between them. But when MC glanced up over the body in front of him, there she was, crying openly over V’s body, pale blonde hair dragging in the blood surrounding him. Where had he been shot? MC had watched it play out in slow motion but he couldn’t remember now, too focused on whether or not Luciel could pull through. Wherever it was, it mustn’t be as serious because he watched V lift up a hand to rest it on Rika’s cheek. She grabbed onto it with one of her own, her hair falling forward to obscure MC’s view of her face.

That was fine, he should be focusing on Luciel, anyway. Not that he had a clue what he could do to make this any better.

An idea presented itself suddenly and he cursed himself for not thinking of it sooner. “What do I do?” he demanded, staring at Vanderwood. “You said you’d try something if you were in the shape to do it. Tell me.”

Vanderwood blinked at him slowly, eyes seeming to having trouble focusing on MC. Fuck. The longer the drug was in their system, the more Vanderwood seemed out of it. “Oh, uh. Just a moment. This shit… it’s… it’s fucking with me.”

Well, basic idea was to try to stop the bleeding, right? While Vanderwood attempted to pull their mind together, MC tried to take off his own shirt to use as a makeshift tourniquet - even if it wouldn’t really work in this spot, it was better to try something rather than nothing - and was frustrated when he ran into the issue of being unable to move past the handcuffs.

“No…” MC flinched when he felt Vanderwood tug down his shirt over his shoulders again. “That won’t help. Pressure… put pressure on the wound.”

Nodding, MC pressed both his hands over the gunshot, hoping against all hope that it would work. He put some of his weight behind it, leaning on top of Luciel and ignoring the cackling of Saeran and sobs of Rika in the background. Maybe if he just… focused…

“Down!” Vanderwood whispered ferociously suddenly, arm looping around his shoulders and pulling him onto the floor, pinning him. Before MC had a chance to protest or even open his mouth, there was the sound of a distant shout and then a loud crash as something burst through the sole stained glass window, glass shattering everywhere. Alarmed shouts and gunshots rang throughout the room, multiple footsteps running past them in pursuit of the no doubt fleeing cult members. MC was unsure how long they laid on the ground before he heard Saeran shout and something large fall against a wall, trembling in fear under Vanderwood’s arm.

It was too much. The sounds began to blur together, to join to form an eerie ringing and MC started to feel dizzy even though he was lying on the floor. The buzzing in his ears grew to overwhelm everything else and he felt his breaths quickening, a vice tightening around his chest. Did Vanderwood say something? He tried to turn to face him but his body wouldn’t listen, the muffled words barely audible over his own mental noise. It was happening. It was happening now, whether or not he wanted it to and he didn’t have enough warning to tell anyone what was going on. The only person in the entire room who’d experienced it before was currently bleeding out on the floor, might not even survive this… raid or whatever it was. Hopefully it was by good guys.

Then everything turned black, and MC knew no more.


	26. Recovery

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

The shrill noise dug into her temples like barbed wire, making her head pound as though she were suffering the worst hangover she’d had in her entire life. The fact that her mouth felt inexplicably dry didn’t help discount that possibility. Tack on the aches throughout her body and the raw feeling of her throat… yeah, she must’ve had too much to drink.

Except she didn’t remember the apartment smelling so… clean. Sterile. And the bed was a lot softer, with fluffier blankets. Where was she?

Fear overtook her for a moment and she froze, breath coming out in panicked huffs. Memories of the last place she’d been came flooding back in a rush, leaving her even more fearful than before. Was this some sort of trick? Another ploy by Rika? Or was it the unknown force that invaded?

And where was Luciel? Was he okay? Was V okay? What about her kids? Oh god, her kids… were they safe? The icy fingers of anxiety started to grip her heart, squeezing tighter and tighter until she thought she might burst. There were too many unknown variables here to formulate a guess as to what the truth of her situation was and oh god, what if… what if…

“Hey, are you awake? Shhh, it’s okay. You’re safe. You’re in the hospital.” A familiar voice spoke quietly, forcefully pulling her off the train headed to panic city. Soothing and musical, it calmed her in a way only someone she felt safe around could. A hand closed gently over one of her own. “The doctors say you’re going to be fine, that you’re through the roughest part of your detox. You should be able to go home within a day or two.”

“Z...en?” she croaked, voice raspy and painful from disuse. A squeeze on the back of her hand and a finger placed against her lips was her answer.

“Yes, it’s me. Don’t try to speak right now. They won’t give me specifics but something about your throat being incredibly raw right now. Do you need a drink of water? Just nod if you do.”

Struggling into a weak sitting position, MC nodded, slitting open her eyes to see the tired face of the actor sitting beside her. This was probably a peek at the Zen the public never saw while also being the most he’d ever let himself go. The faint beginning of bruising was visible under his eyes and there was a hint of redness around his irises. She brought her hand up to wipe away at the sleepiness still in her eyes, blinking them a few times to focus before offering him an uncertain smile.

He was holding a small styrofoam cup out and she took it, gratefully drinking it and relishing the cool liquid along the cotton of her mouth and the chafed feel of her throat. It was gone too soon, taken from her grasp to be placed back on the nearby portable table. A sad smile ghosted across Zen’s face and he reached up to touch her hair.

“Was this your decision?”

She shook her head. Frowning, his hand fell back to his side and he slumped back, exhaustion present in his posture. “God. I can’t believe everything that happened. I… I don’t know all the details but I know you were drugged, and so was… so was Seven’s brother and Seven… and… oh. You probably want to know how he’s doing?”

“Yes.” It felt like swallowing razors to speak that one word but she needed Zen to know how important that was to her. The last she’d seen him, he’d been bleeding out on the floor at her knees. The way Zen spoke though… it gave her a small bit of hope. He wouldn’t talk like that if Luciel was dead, right?

A weary sigh escaped him and he ran a hand through mussed hair. “It’s a miracle that Jumin’s men got there when they did. Any longer and he’d…” His gaze droped to the floor for a moment, unfocused, before he clearned his throat and continued. “Well. He’s been in surgery two times now but he’s stable. They think they got all of it out and that he’ll be fine, in time. From what I understand, the bullet hit a bone and shattered it in that spot, so they had to make sure nothing was gonna cause any trouble later. The hardest part is monitoring his recovery from surgery while he goes through withdrawal from whatever the hell they were feeding you guys. It’s been a tough time for the three of you.”

He was alive. MC covered her mouth as she felt tears start to drip down her cheek, leaning into Zen gratefully when he offered a hug. He was sick, but alive. That was all she could’ve asked for.

“V?”

“V.” Zen rubbed her back as he spoke, seemingly uncaring as she soaked his shirt with her tears. “He’s fine. He got shot in the shoulder. Bled a lot, might lose some of the use of that arm, but he’s fine. I wanna know why he was there, though. And Rika…”

The last person MC cared about at that particular moment was that bitch who put them all through hell. Pulling back, she shook her head, relieved when he took the hint and quit talking. Absently scratching her neck, she considered whether or not she’d be able to move. She was bandaged around her midsection again and there was some sort of wrap on her ankle, but maybe she’d be allowed to go see Luciel? Even if he wasn’t awake, she needed reassurance that he would be fine. That he was alive.

“Visit?”

Zen’s eyebrows drew together for a moment as he searched her face. “Are you asking to visit Seven?” he asked slowly, eyes narrowing a little when she nodded enthusiastically. “Well… I don’t see why it would hurt to ask a nurse, but I dunno if they’ll let you go anywhere yet. But Yoosung’s over there with him; I’m sure he’d want to see you now that you’re awake.”

While Zen answered, MC searched out the button to call for the nurse and lit up when one came in almost instantly, looking between the two expectantly and hoping for the best. It was agreed that she could go in a wheelchair with Zen as long as she remained hooked up to her IV’s and they came back within half an hour. There was no hesitation in her agreement, so desperate was she to go see her boyfriend.

It seemed the hospital had decided to group all of the victims from Mint Eye together, perhaps deciding a group detox would be easier than having them spread all over the different wings. MC noted most doors were closed and thought she could hear muttering and vague shouting behind a lot of them, wondering if that was from withdrawal or something else.

She didn’t see Saeran or Rika on the short trip to the room Luciel was staying in.

Just as Zen had said, Yoosung was in the room, head resting on Luciel’s chest and fingers entwined with Luciel’s. She motioned for Zen to stop for a moment in the doorway as her breath caught in her throat, waving off his look of confusion. The sight was… beautiful. Not the fact that Luciel was in a hospital bed with several different IV’s or hooked up to all the monitors, but watching them sleep like that. The blond offsetting the bright red, the smaller, paler fingers contrasting the larger, darker ones. Like opposites drawn to each other, yin and yang. For a moment MC couldn’t help but wonder if in a different timeline, a different universe, they were the couple and MC, just a friend. It wasn’t the first time she’d considered how close they were, how they had all the benchmarks of best friends in love with each other, but she’d become blind in her own fall for Luciel.

Hopefully it wouldn’t somehow tear Yoosung down further than he already was.

Releasing the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, she waved to continue into the room and stood once they reached the other side of the bed, carefully maneuvering her own IV pole around so as not to get tangled on anything. Zen quickly moved behind her to scoot up the empty recliner for her to sit in and she thanked him with a smile, taking a seat. The red hair was no longer matted - Thank God for the hospital staff being on top of cleaning their patients - but it was wilder than usual, curling around his ears and against the pillow. She reached forward to swipe a stray lock out of his eyes, letting her fingers linger along the side of his cheek. He looked so much better than the last time she saw him. There was color where there hadn’t been and his breathing wasn’t strained. It truly did look like he was just sleeping.

“Has he woken up at all?” she asked quietly, jumping when Yoosung answered instead of Zen, voice hoarse with sleep.

“A few times, but never for very long. The nurses say it’s normal for him to sleep a lot with the medicine they’re giving him to offset the withdrawal symptoms.” Leaning back, he rubbed his eyes groggily before offering her a weak smile. “It’s good to see you up and moving.” A long yawn broke free and he stretched his arms up, sighing heavily when finished. “Jumin won’t tell me what happened in there, but you all came back in pretty rough shape.”

Biting her lip, MC shifted uncomfortably in her seat a bit, leaning into Zen’s hands when he reached down to gently rub her back. “Yeah, I… I think that’s something that should wait until all of us are up to talking about it,” she whispered, looking back up at Luciel’s peaceful face. “I don’t know what happened with him or V. I hardly know what they did to me.” A thought sprung forth and before she considered the ramifications of her question, she asked, “have you seen Rika yet?”

Yoosung stiffened, his eyes dropping to his lap. Regret instantly bloomed in her but before she had a chance to apologize, he answered.

“Once. I went into her room to… to try to talk to her but all she’d say was that she needed to leave, to get out and continue saving people. She even asked me to help her escape. I… she needs help, doesn’t she?”

MC leaned forward and gently touched his arm, nodding when he looked up at her. “Yes. She needs to get therapy. I don’t know if she’ll ever be the Rika you knew again, but… maybe she can be close.”

A sad smile flitted across Yoosung’s face before he looked back up at Luciel. “Maybe…” he murmured, brows dipping. “But...she’s responsible for what happened to you, right? And Seven?”

“...yes,” she answered carefully, watching his face contort into anger. He was right, he really could look scary when mad.

“I will never forgive her for that.” Voice low, he reached up and ran his fingers through Luciel’s hair once. “For doing such terrible things to my friends. _Her_ friends.”

Swallowing thickly, MC slowly took his hand away from Luciel, entwining their fingers and squeezing. “Don’t hold onto it, Yoosung,” she pleaded, unflinching even when eyes still burning with fury turned to her. “It’s not healthy. Forgive her, one day, when you’re ready. Forgive her, even if it doesn’t make everything okay.”

His eyes searched hers for a while, the anger slowly dissipating as the seconds ticked by. “I’ll try,” he finally answered, squeezing her hand back. “For you.”

“No.” Shaking her head, her tone was firm. “For you.”


	27. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, we reach the end

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for how long this one took to post!!! I had a hard time doing anything with writing for a good while there... :(((

The bunker was spotless, thoroughly cleaned from top to bottom and ready for its occupant to come home, plus one. MC had made sure the fridge was stocked (and freezer too, with ice cream) and that there was everything anyone could need throughout the rooms. It had been woefully empty before she’d came in, kids set up in the living room with activities/toys while she determinedly cleaned, but it was fit to live in now.

She’d even managed to turn what had been a storage room into a bedroom for Saeran, leaving it undecorated so he could do as he pleased.

Luciel had been released and able to come home about a week after her, but he’d chosen to stay in a hotel room closer to the hospital. Didn’t want to risk being too far away from Saeran, he said. Of everyone, he’d been the one having the most difficult time adjusting. The brainwashing was powerful; the doctors were finding it nearly impossible to get him to cooperate with treatment and Saeyoung had to fight tooth and nail to keep him out of the psych ward. In the end it took up Jumin pulling some strings and giving the hospital a generous donation to keep Saeran where he was, but it was still tough.

Multiple ripped out IVs, punches and thrown items later, it was decided that it would be better to keep him lightly sedated until he calmed down. Saeyoung was not thrilled but it seemed to be the best option at the time.

A month passed before he couldn’t take it anymore and he agreed to take over Saeran’s care personally, at which point MC attacked his home with bleach and a vacuum. It took another week or so before all of the paperwork was signed, therapists were found to come to the bunker and medicine was assigned for various issues. Everything was explained more than once and numbers were given if anything happens.

Finally the day arrived to find MC nervously standing in the kitchen, lunch made and ready to be eaten. She’d asked Jaehee to look after the kids today, not quite ready for them to be around Saeran yet.

Quite frankly, she wasn’t sure _he_ was ready for _them_ to be around yet. From what she understood, he’d made progress but still had a long way to go before being able to be around others somewhat comfortably again. She wasn’t even sure if she’d be able to stay after they came home, but she just wanted to let Saeyoung know there’s food in the fridge and that she missed him.

For probably the fiftieth time she double checked the chicken, the rice, the kimchi. She wiped down the counter and had a drink of water. This waiting was going to be the death of her, at this rate.

A rumbling overhead sounded out that made her jump, frightened that she’d somehow accidentally tripped some form of security mechanism before realizing it was likely the garage. Swiveling from facing the front door to the one that comes in from there, she smoothed her shirt again and toyed with the hair brushing the tops of her eyes, twirling it in her fingers. Her nervous tic became a lot more obvious once all of her hair was chopped off.

There was the sound of a slamming door and then a familiar voice, slowly growing louder along with shuffling footsteps. She couldn’t make out what he was saying but she didn’t need to, holding the little toy cat she’d bought for a welcome home to her chest and grinning like an idiot. The beep of the entry pad let her know they were almost in and then the heavy door swung open, a red head of hair coming into view.

“There’s plenty of room for you and I’m sure you can find somethi- oh! MC, babe~” The duffel bag Luciel had been carrying was dropped on the floor in favor of sliding forward to scoop MC up into his arms and swing her around. “I wasn’t expecting to see you~!”

Giggling wildly, she braced her hands on his chest and gazed into those golden eyes she’d fallen in love with, happy to finally see him outside of the hospital setting. “I, uh. Made you guys lunch,” she said, biting her lip and glancing over her shoulder when he slowed down to place her back on the ground. “Didn’t really know what either of you like for real food so I made a variety...what?”

Luciel was looking guiltily at the spread behind her, one hand coming up to scratch the back of his neck. “We, ah. We grabbed something to eat on the way so…”

“Oh!” She pulled away, nodding with a smile. “No, that’s fine. I’ll just box it up and put it in the fridge for later, then! At least you don’t have to worry about dinner, haha.”

A hand wrapped around her wrist and Luciel pulled her back to him, giving her another warm hug, this one with feet firmly planted on the ground. “Let me show Saeran to his room,” he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to her shell of her ear. “Then I’ll come help you.”

Right. Backing up in the kitchen once his arms dropped to his side, MC’s eyes shifted to the man standing behind Luciel. Saeran was looking rather intently at the floor, one hand gripping his other arm as he stood slumped over. Wearing a dark tan sweater she’d never seen before, he looked far, far different than the last time she’d seen him. Even his roots were starting to come in, the fiery red standing out against the white.

“This way, Saeran,” Luciel said in a soft voice, grabbing the bag once more and heading toward the hall where the bedrooms were. Never raising his head, Saeran followed until they were out of sight, MC chewing her lip in worry. Hopefully everything would go well and he could make more progress here. She needed to believe that, for Luciel’s sake, he could get better. No matter how hard it was for her to be around him, she wanted to be able to support him.

Turning on her heel, she headed for the cupboard with the newly bought Tupperware, pulling out a few and starting to scrape stuff into it. She truly wasn’t upset that they’d eaten already; this actually made her feel better than they wouldn’t have to worry about what to do for dinner. At least Luciel wouldn’t have an excuse to eat a poor meal.

It was only a few minutes before he popped back in the kitchen, all grins once more. “You know you didn’t have to do all of this, right?” He raised his arms, making a large gesture that encompassed the entire of the bunker before jumping right in to help. “Even Vanderwood never got it this clean.”

“I didn’t want you two to come back to a mess.” She scooped up the dirty plates and carried them to the sink, rinsing them off. “It’s not good for your mental health.” Turning the faucet on, she reached over for the soap and sponge to start washing them. Might as well get it done and out of the way right away.

“Stop,” came a voice in her ear, hands slipping around her to turn the water back off. “I can get that later. You’ve already done way more than you needed to.” She didn’t put up a fight when he turned her around, closing the small distance between them to press a soft kiss to her lips. A hand brushed gently through her hair and she slid her arms over his shoulders, just reveling in the affection she hadn’t felt in so long.

When he broke the kiss, Luciel placed another on the tip of her nose. “Thank you for being so patient with me. With us. I don’t deserve someone like you, but god, I’m not giving you up anytime soon.”

Rolling her eyes, MC shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere, you goof. I love you too much, Luciel.”

“Ah, um. Can you, uh. Can you call me Saeyoung?” He looks off to the side, a sheepish expression on his face. “It’s… it’s my real name. I’d like to start going by it now.”

A lovestruck smile crossed her face. “Of course. Saeyoung.” She rolled the name around on her tongue, getting used to it. “Saeyoung, my boyfriend. Saeyoung Choi. Hmm.”

A faint blush appeared on his cheeks at her saying his name and he huffed out a quiet laugh. “Yeah, that’s me. Hey, uh. I… I don’t know how often we’ll be able to see each other, I don’t want you to be here on his bad days and -“

“Shh, no, I get it,” she interrupted, placing a finger to his lips. “You help your brother recover from everything. He needs you more than me right now. I’ll still be here when you’re ready.”

“God, I love you.”

MC blinked in surprise when she was pulled into another hug, this one firmer as Saeyoung buried his head into her neck, chest rising and falling heavily. Smiling, she patted his back and rest her head on top of his. After everything that happened, after going through all of that shit, she couldn’t imagine a better outcome than this. She had her kids back, a new place to stay and a wonderful man she was lucky to call her boyfriend. There were sure to be more struggles in the future, but she was confident that together, they could face them.

“I love you too, Saeyoung.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, thanks for reading all the way through this! It’s been one rollercoaster of a year, hasn’t it? :*

**Author's Note:**

> Did you like it? Did you love it? Did you... *gasp* hate it? Let me know! I'm always open for reviews, comments and helpful criticism.  
> I'm here to grow. :)
> 
> You can also find me on Tumblr as [cutiesaeran](http://cutiesaeran.tumblr.com/) or twitter [@MysticHawke](https://twitter.com/MysticHawke/)!


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